1'iM''^^v^/'U/'i.'k 


^ 


V    -^^Z" 


V 


'//\^ 


■A 


f^l.J^-  y 


\ 


^^ 


'i>^' 


'ifti. 


^-   *1 


.\ 


WASHINGTON 

THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON 


BY 
CHARLES  H.  CALLAHAN 


'Vr' 


Published  under  the  auspices  of  the 

MEMORIAL  TEMPLE  COMMITTEE  OF  THE  GEORGE 

WASHINGTON  MASONIC  NATIONAL 

MEMORIAL  ASSOCIATION 


Copyright,  1913.  by 
ALEXANDRIA-WASHINGTON  LODGE.  No.  22.  A.  F.  St  A.  M. 


rvATtONAL  CAPITAI   PRESS,  IMC,  WASmntJTClN,  O.  C. 


To  My  Wife 


20249G2 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER.  PAGE 

I.  The  Cavaliers, i 

II.  John  Washington,  the  Immigrant, 3 

III.  Lawrence  Washington  of  Wakefield 7 

IV.  Augustine  Washington, g 

V.  Lawrence  Washington  of  Mount  Vernon, 21 

VI.  The  Virginia  Fairfaxes 29 

VII.  Washington,  the  Surveyor, 41 

VIII.  Washington's  Mission  to  the  French  Commandant,         ...  47 

IX.  Washington  in  Braddock's  Campaign, 53 

X.  Washington's  Defence  of  the  Valley, 61 

XI.  Washington,  the  Civilian, 71 

XII.  Washington  in  the  Revolution, loi 

XIII.  Washington  Again  in  Private  Life 133 

XIV.  Washington,  President  of  the  United  States 153 

XV.  Last  Days  and  Death  of  Washington, 177 

XVI.  Resolutions  of  Congress  and  Tributes  of  Respect 197 

XVII.  Mrs.  Martha  Washington,  her  Children  and  Grandchildren,    .        .  211 

XVIII.  Bushrod  Washington  and  his  Successors  at  Mount  Vernon,       .        .  231 

XIX.  Our  Masonic  Forebears, 253 

XX.  Masonic  Incidents  in  the  Life  of  Washington 265 

XXI.  Lodges  No.  39  and  22  of  Alexandria,  Virginia, 281 

XXII.  Alexandria-Washington  Lodge  No.  22,  A.  F.  &  A.  M 297 

XXIII.  The  George  Washington  Masonic  National  Memorial  Association,  .  329 
Appendix:  Washington's  Will,   Schedule,  Appraisement  of  Property,  and 

Declaration  of  Independence 343 


PREFACE 

In  adding  another  treatise  on  Washington  to  the  many  now 
extant  a  statement  of  the  author's  plan  and  purpose  may  not  be 
out  of  place. 

No  effort  has  been  made  to  write  a  complete  biography  of  our 
principal  subject.  Every  phase  of  his  public  career  has  already 
many  times  been  critically  investigated  and  minutely  recorded  by 
those  who  have  had  that  special  object  in  view,  but,  in  doing  this, 
they  have  allowed  his  private  life  to  become  largely  overshadowed 
by  his  official  greatness,  and  it  is  in  his  private  life,  with  its  rural 
pastimes  and  rustic  occupations,  that  we  find  best  illustrated  the 
beautiftd  simplicity  of  his  character. 

To  make  this  more  intimate  and  personal  portrayal  of  the 
"Father  of  his  Country"  has  been  the  writer's  desire.  At  the 
same  time  he  has  found  it  necessary  to  present  a  brief  synopsis  of 
Washington's  entire  career  that  the  narrative  might  appear  as  a 
connected  whole. 

Nearly  all  the  biographies  of  this  great  man,  whether  written 
on  an  extensive  scale  or  in  abbreviated  form,  properly  close  with 
his  death  and  funeral.  Large  interest,  however,  has  centered  in 
those  most  closely  associated  with  him  in  a  domestic  sense,  and 
especially  in  his  now  historic  home.  Some  account,  therefore,  is 
given  of  his  devoted  wife,  her  children  and  grandchildren,  and  her 
successors  at  Mount  Vernon  on  the  Potomac.  Particular  attention 
has  been  paid  to  the  history  of  this  famous  estate,  the  story  of  which 
is  traced  from  the  acquisition  of  the  original  grant  by  John  Wash- 
ington, the  immigrant,  down  to  the  present  time.  Numerous  illus- 
trations appropriate  to  the  subject  and  maps  of  the  surrounding 
country  are  furnished  in  order  to  bring  the  reader  face  to  face  with 
the  people  and  places  here  recorded,  and  give  him  some  idea  of  the 
relative  location  of  the  homes  of  those  "lords  of  the  manor"  who 
were  the  cherished  friends  and  nearest  neighbors  of  the  mighty 
chieftain,  and  to  whom  with  gladdened  heart  he  returned  again 
and  again  after  the  turmoils  and  vicissitudes  of  public  service. 

This  volume  is  intended,  also,  to  give  in  brief  form  the  history 
of  Washington's  connection  with  Masonry  and,  in  particular,  his 
relation  to  Alexandria- Washington  Lodge  No.  22,  of  which  he  was 

VII 


VIII  PREFACE 

the  first  Master.  The  data  for  this  branch  of  the  work  has  not 
been  easily  obtained,  but  with  conscientious  care,  discarding  many 
unfounded  traditions  and  weighing  scrupulously  every  fact  adduced, 
it  has  been  attempted  to  present  to  the  Craft  an  accurate  account  of 
its  most  illustrious  member. 

The  author  would  be  deficient  in  gratitude  if  he  did  not  empha- 
size his  appreciation  of  the  invaluable  assistance  rendered,  in  the 
preparation  of  this  work,  by  Mr.  Lawrence  Washington  of  the  Library 
of  Congress.  A  careful  and  observant  student  of  history  and,  like 
his  distinguished  collateral  ancestor,  a  zealous  member  of  the  Masonic 
Fraternity,  he  has  not  only  pointed  to  the  proper  sources  of  informa- 
tion in  the  government's  great  store-house  of  literature  but  has 
generously  tendered  his  private  volvmies  and  supplied  photographic 
copies  of  the  family  paintings  in  his  home  for  use  as  illustrations. 

In  conclusion,  the  writer  indulges  the  hope  that  in  pursuing 
these  subjects  he  is  transmitting,  in  condensed  and  consecutive  form, 
an  interesting  story,  woven  about  and  around  the  cherished  home  of 
Washington  and  those  intimately  associated  with  its  great  proprietor, 
as  well  as  faithfully  recording  historic  data  of  a  particular  nature 
and  of  intrinsic  worth.  If  such  proves  to  be  the  case,  the  tedious 
hours  of  toilsome  investigation  and  persistent  endeavor  will  be  amply 
rewarded. 

Charles  H.  Callahan. 

Alexandria,  Va.,  1913. 


THE  CAVALIERS 

^HK  political  turmoils  and  dissensions  of  the  mother 
countr)^  incident  to  and  resulting  from  the  rise  of 
Cromwell  and  the  execution  of  Charles  I  in  1649, 
mark  an  epoch  of  deep  interest  and  importance  in 
American  as  well  as  English  history.  They  forced 
into  exile  many  of  the  friends  of  the  unfortunate  king, 
and  enriched  the  colonies  with  a  large  contingent  of  the  highly  cul- 
tured and  intellectual  manhood  of  England.  Driven  by  the  perse- 
cutions of  fanatical  Roundheads  to  seek  safety  in  foreign  lands,  these 
homeless  and  hounded  Cavaliers  turned  to  the  wilds  of  America,  the 
new  and  undeveloped  country^  beyond  the  seas,  for  safe  and  tranquil 
refuge.  Here,  in  the  seclusion  of  her  virgin  forests,  far  from  the  blood- 
stained fields  and  civil  strife  of  suffering  Britain,  and  immune  from  the 
vigilant  watch  of  the  prying  Cromwellite,  they  pitched  their  tents 
and  cast  their  lot  with  the  fortunes  of  the  young  and  romantic  col- 
onies; here,  with  no  skulking  spy  nor  eavesdropping  Roundhead  to 
interrupt  or  stifle  an  open  avowal  of  political  faith,  no  stem  voice  of 
command  to  challenge  their  allegiance  to  the  crown  or  curb  the  indig- 
nant protests  of  injured  honor,  and  with  vehement  assurance  of 
cordial  and  continued  welcome  from  a  sympathetic  host,  they  started 
anew  the  journey  of  life  amid  Utopian  surroundings. 

Bringing  with  them  the  portable  remnants  of  liberal  patrimonies, 
they  acquired,  at  nominal  cost,  vast  landed  estates  and  reared  on  the 
banks  of  the  broad  rivers  of  the  Old  Dominion  their  manoral  castles. 
Surrounded  by  all  the  natural  beauties  a  diversified  landscape  could 
supply,  by  every  luxury  a  generous  soil  and  salubrious  climate  could 
produce,  and  by  every  comfort  that  ingenious  necessity  and  cultured 
taste  could  provide,  the  new  land  soon  became  to  these  royal  outcasts 
a  fulfilment  of  the  cherished  desires  and  expectations  of  a  lifetime. 

The  death  of  Cromwell  in  1658,  the  restoration  of  Charles  II  in 
1660,  and  the  resumption  of  kingly  authority  restored  to  them  their 
princely  fortunes,  but  the  former  environments  and  narrow  surround- 
ings of  English  life  had  lost  their  charm,  and  the  expatriated  Cavalier 
preferred  the  broad  expanse  of  his  American  estate  to  the  limited 
confines  of  even  a  baronial  castle  or  the  lordly  palace  of  his  ancestors. 


2  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND  THE)   MASON. 

He  was  here  to  stay  by  choice,  and  by  choice  he  would  bring  his 
fortune  here  and  add  it  to  the  dower  that  nature  and  nature's  God 
had  bestowed  upon  the  land  of  his  adoption. 

The  migratory  movement  which  set  in  between  1640  and  1645 
cannot  be  characterized  as  spasmodic  or  considered  in  the  nature  of 
a  stampede.  While  every  vessel  brought  its  cargo  of  living  freight, 
adding  to  the  number  already  on  the  scene,  there  was  no  hysterical 
rush,  no  convulsive  haste,  but  a  constant,  steady,  human  tide  pouring 
into  the  alluring  land  of  promise.  We  find  that  in  1650  the  colony  of 
^'irginia  contained  about  fifteen  thousand  people,  and  in  twenty  years, 
or  in  1670,  the  number  had  increased  to  forty  thousand.  Thus,  in 
the  short  space  of  two  decades,  England  had  lost  twenty-five  thousand 
of  tlie  best  of  her  citizens,  while  Virginia  and  the  world  were  destined 
to  reap  the  benefit  of  the  mother  country's  sacrifice.  For  among  this 
immigrant  army  we  find  the  ancestors  of  men  who  in  later  years  were 
called  to  proclaim  and  establish  human  liberty,  divide  the  British 
empire  and  change  the  map  of  the  civilized  world — the  Washingtons, 
Masons,  Lees,  Randolphs,  Madisons,  Pendletons,  Monroes,  Careys, 
Henrys,  Jeffersons,  Pages,  Lewises,  Warners  and  innumerable  others, 
whose  descendants  were  as  loyal  to  the  colonies  and  tlie  people  as  they 
themselves  had  been  to  the  king  and  the  crown. 

Under  the  superior  guidance  of  this  added  force,  the  colony 
acquired  new  life  and  animation.  Their  increasing  numbers  dimin- 
ished the  dangers  and  checked  the  invasions  of  the  red  men.  Their 
perseverance  and  energy  were  equal  to  and  commensurate  with  their 
cultured  taste  and  distinguished  lineage,  while  their  wholesome  influ- 
ence and  salutary  example  proved  an  inspiration  and  gave  momentum 
to  the  onward  march  of  literary  and  industrial  progress.  Educational 
institutions  were  established,  churches  erected,  and  cities  founded  in 
rapid  succession  until  the  whole  tidewater  section,  aye,  from  Piedmont 
to  the  ocean,  seemed  revitalized  by  the  quickening  influence  of  her 
adopted  sons.  The  plough  followed  the  rifle  in  close  pursuit,  and  the 
sound  of  the  axe  and  the  grinding  mill  was  heard  in  the  primeval 
forest  before  the  trail  of  the  departing  Indian  was  obscured  by  the 
falling  trees.  Thus  the  despised  and  banished  Cavalier  became  an 
active,  living  force,  and  the  pampered  creature  of  inherited  station  was 
transformed  into  a  leader  in  the  onward  march  of  Anglo-Saxon  civiliza- 
tion— the  representative  of  a  sturdy  people  whose  wholesome  morality 
coming  generations  will  look  back  upon  with  increasing  veneration 
and,  in  their  eff"orts  to  exalt  themselves,  will  emulate  the  lives  and 
adopt  the  moral  standards  and  social  customs  of  the  Virginia  Cavalier. 


— f 


,i^iMr^ 


^&9    OfH^ 


-'■^"if"*tf 


<K4'X 


'   4&«^  ^  Vrf.^^»r,  ^ ^ 


"^ 


-i-  /   ,^  A«/- 


KtJrAn  fTtJh 

J.  ^'A//' A:./. 


) 


/ 


\ 


,   //'  V/^^    ^J-//.?  '    , 


I. 


///y 


:'v 


f.,..^L.- 


[  Li  far  firrf4 


r,,^^. 


"X»    "«'*<^, 


-J^./Zj^,, 


..'.4>..w. 


./( 


-X" 


-C-. 


y 


JOHN  WASHINGTON,  THE  IMMIGRANT 

©  Y  ALL  the  associations,  ties  and  traditions  of  an  ancient 
and  honored  ancestry,  dating  back  to  the  remotest 


periods  of  English  history  and  famed  for  its  loyal 
support  and  adherence  to  the  crown  in  every  struggle 
from  the  days  of  William  the  Conqueror  to  the  ascen- 
sion of  Oliver  Cromwell,  John  Washington,  the  great- 
grandfather of  the  first  president  of  the  United  States  and  the  refugee 
immigrant,  was  a  Royalist  and  Cavalier  to  whom  every  sentiment  of 
the  Roundhead  was  offensive  and  intolerable.  With  his  wife,  two 
children  and  his  brother  Lawrence,  he  emigrated  from  South  Cave  in 
the  East  Riding  of  Yorkshire,  near  the  city  of  Beverly,  England,  in 
1657,  and  landing  in  Virginia,  patented  a  large  tract  of  land  in  West- 
moreland County  about  seventy-five  miles  below  our  present  national 
capital. 

Mr.  Washington  established  his  residence  on  Pope's  Creek,  near 
its  confluence  with  the  Potomac  River,  where,  later  on,  he  erected  a 
colonial  mansion  known  as  "Wakefield."  Through  a  distressing 
fatality,  his  wife  and  both  children  died  shortly  after  their  arrival  in 
the  colony  of  Virginia,  and  in  1660  he  married  a  second  wife,  Anne 
Pope,  daughter  of  a  neighboring  planter,  whose  father's  residence  was 
probably  adjacent  to  Wakefield.  By  this  wife  he  had  four  children, 
Lawrence  (1661),  John  (1663),  Elizabeth  (1665),  and  Anne  (1667). 

Colonel  Washington  appears  to  have  been  a  man  of  wealth  and 
importance  in  the  colony.  Shortly  after  his  arrival  we  find  him 
actively  participating  in  its  commercial,  military  and  political  affairs. 
He  was  also  an  extensive  planter  and  proprietor  of  several  valuable 
estates.  In  1670  he  became  associated  with  Nicholas  Spencer  in  a 
maritime  enterprise  between  Virginia  and  the  mother  country  and, 
in  consideration  of  valuable  services  rendered  the  colony  for  bringing 
in  one  hundred  settlers  or  immigrants,  he  and  his  partner  received 
from  Thomas,  Lord  Culpeper,  five  thousand  acres  of  land  situated 
on  the  Potomac  River  between  Epsewasson*  and  Little  Hunting 
Creeks.  This  was  the  original  grant  to  the  Washington  family,  which 
has  since  become  famous  throughout  the  civilized  world  as  "Mount 
Vernon  on  the  Potomac." 


•Indian  name  for  Dogue  Creek  and  neighborhood. 


4  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND  THE   MASON. 

Elected  to  the  House  of  Burgesses  about  1665,  he  was  commis- 
sioned a  colonel  in  the  colonial  militia  and  in  this  capacity  became  a 
conspicuous  figure  in  many  of  the  important  and  tragic  events  of 
Bacon's  rebellion.  Resenting,  and  probably  justly  so,  the  encroach- 
ments of  the  white  man  upon  their  forest  and  stream  and  in  retaliation 
for  wrongs  supposed  or  real,  the  Indians  for  a  number  of  years  con- 
tinued their  harassing  incursions  upon  the  border  settlements,  to  the 
constant  annoyance  and  alarm  of  the  hardy  pioneers.  The  persistent 
but  unanswered  pleadings  and  appeals  of  the  defenceless  settlers  to 
Governor  Berkeley  for  protection  aroused  the  liveliest  indignation  and 
resentment  and  produced  acts  of  overt  hostility  in  the  House  of 
Burgesses  to  his  administration  and  authority,  which  finally  resulted 
in  open  "rebelUon."  In  justice  to  the  youthful  and  brave  leader, 
Nathaniel  Bacon,  this  uprising  would  be  more  properly  designated  as 
a  "revolution,"  for,  if  ever  a  cause  was  just.  Bacon's  was;  and,  if 
giving  valuable  life  as  a  sacrifice  for  the  people's  safety  and  defence 
constitutes  a  hero,  Nathaniel  Bacon  must  be  regarded  in  that  light 
by  impartial  historians. 

It  was  during  this  interesting  and  exciting  period,  as  one  of  the 
supporters  of  this  sterling  young  patriot,  that  John  Washington,  the 
immigrant  refugee,  came  boldly  to  the  front  as  lieutenant-colonel  of  the 
provincial  militia  and  commanded  the  joint  forces  of  Maryland  and 
Virginia  Rangers,  which  broke  the  backbone  of  Indian  power  and 
stopped  for  all  time  their  depredations  and  massacres  east  of  the  Blue 
Ridge  Mountains.  It  is  a  singular  fact  that  the  last  stand  made  and 
last  battle  fought  between  the  red  man  and  his  pale-face  adversary 
in  tidewater  was  on  what  subsequently  became  part  of  the  Mount 
Vernon  estate,  designated  in  the  accompanying  map  (see  facing 
page  177)  as  the  "River  Farm." 

The  circumstances  leading  up  to  this  encounter  are  briefly  as 
follows :  About  the  year  1675  a  herdsman  by  the  name  of  Robert  Henn 
and  a  friendly  Indian  were  brutally  murdered  on  the  upper  Occoquan 
Creek  (in  Stafford,  now  Fairfax  County),  an  estuary  of  the  Potomac 
River,  about  ten  miles  below  the  present  site  of  Mount  Vernon.  The 
crime  was  committed  by  a  roving  band  of  Dogue  Indians,  a  remnant 
of  what  was  once  a  powerful  tribe,  who  held  possession  of  this  whole 
section  and  whose  principal  city,  Assaomec,  was  at  the  mouth  of 
Little  Hunting  Creek,  not  over  two  miles  above  where  Mount  Vernon 
mansion  now  stands.  This  outrage  aroused  the  Burgesses  to  prompt 
and  determined  action,  regardless  of  the  opposition  of  Governor 


JOHN   WASHINGTON,    THE    IMMIGRANT.  5 

Berkeley,  and,  closely  pursued  by  the  Staflford  Rangers,  under  Colonel 
George  Mason  (ancestor  of  the  author  of  the  "  Virginia  Bill  of  Rights") 
and  Captain  Giles  Brent,  of  Richland  (now  Widewater),  Stafford 
County,  the  savages  were  surprised  in  their  wigwams  and  summarily 
dispatched.  The  few  who  escaped  took  refuge  with  the  Piscataways 
in  Mar)dand  and  having  been  joined  by  the  Algonquins,  Piscataways, 
Chickamuxins  and  other  neighboring  tribes,  fortified  themselves  on  a 
high  bluff  overlooking  the  Potomac  River,  at  the  mouth  of  Piscataway 
Creek,  nearly  opposite  the  Dogue  City  of  Assaomec,  and  on  the  present 
site  of  Fort  Washington.  Here  the  savages,  numbering  some  twenty- 
five  hundred,  securely  barricaded  and  well-intrenched,  made  a  last 
and  determined  stand.  Resistance,  however,  was  hopeless  against 
the  onslaught  of  the  intrepid  ranger.  Colonel  Washington,  command- 
ing a  joint  force  of  about  fifteen  hundred  Mar>'land  and  Virginia 
militia,  soon  dislodged  them  from  their  stronghold.  Attacking  with 
relentless  vigor  the  last  remnant  of  the  once  powerful  red  man,  whose 
tribal  governments  held  absolute  dominion  and  whose  kings  ruled 
supreme  from  the  mountains  to  the  mother  of  waters  and  beyond  on 
down  to  the  deep  slushes  and  black  pocosons  of  the  CaroUnas,  he 
drove  them  over  the  "great  wall"  into  the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah, 
where,  nearly  a  hundred  years  later,  as  a  humble  surveyor,  subdividing 
the  lands  of  his  lordly  patron,  the  great-grandson  of  Colonel  Wash- 
ington was  to  lay  the  foundation  for  the  noblest  career  in  histor}^ — • 
and,  later  still,  as  colonel  of  militia,  was  to  exhaust  every  resource  of 
human  ingenuity  in  protecting  the  humble  pioneer  from  the  merciless 
onslaught  of  the  same  American  savage. 

Colonel  Washington's  active  career  in  the  colony  was  now  nearing 
its  close.  He  had  made  his  mark  as  a  man  of  business  energy  and 
military  skill.  He  had  risked  his  life  to  protect  and  proffered  his 
sympathy  to  encourage  the  hardy  frontiersmen,  in  their  privations  and 
struggles,  and  they  lamented  his  death  with  sincere  and  grateful  sor- 
row. As  early  as  1661,  he  was  churchwarden  of  old  "  White  Chapel." 
Lancaster  County,  and,  in  honor  of  his  public  services  and  private 
virtues,  the  parish  in  which  he  resided  was  given  and  still  retains  the 
name  of  Washington.  He  died  in  1677,  at  the  age  of  fifty-four,  and  is 
buried  in  the  family  vault  at  Bridge's  Creek,  near  the  site  of  the  man- 
sion and  on  the  estate  he  had  founded  in  1657. 

Colonel  Washington's  will,  dated  February  26,  1675,  was  ad- 
mitted to  probate  in  Westmoreland  County  on  January  16,  1677. 
After  expressing  the  most  devout  faith — "  being  heartily  sorry  from  the 


6  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

bottom  of  my  heart  for  my  sins  past,  most  humbly  desiring  forgiveness 
of  the  same  from  the  Almighty  God,  my  Saviour  and  Redeemer,  in 
whom  and  by  the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ  I  trust  and  believe  assuredly 
to  be  saved,  and  to  have  full  remission  and  forgiveness  of  all  my  sins, 
and  that  my  soul  with  my  body  at  the  general  resurrection  shall  rise 
again  with  joy,"  he  proceeds  to  distribute  his  property,  which,  he 
says,  "it  has  pleased  God  to  give  me  far  above  my  deserts."  After 
dividing  a  number  of  landed  estates  between  his  second  and  surviving 
wife  and  his  children,  John,  Lawrence,  and  Anne,  and  also  his  property 
in  England,  he  left  one  thousand  pounds  to  his  brother-in-law,  Thomas 
Pope,  and  one  thousand  pounds  and  four  thousand  weight  of  tobacco 
to  his  sister  in  England.  To  his  eldest  son  he  bequeathed  the  home- 
stead, Wakefield,  and  his  moiety  of  twenty-five  hundred  acres  in  the 
Epsewasson  or  Mount  Vernon  tract.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  Colonel 
John  Washington,  the  immigrant,  was  not  only  a  very  wealthy  and 
very  prominent  man  but  also  a  very  pious  one,  which,  from  every 
available  source  of  information,  we  are  forced  to  conclude  was  a 
striking  characteristic  of  many  of  his  early  descendants. 


LAWRENCE  WASHINGTON  OF  WAKEFIELD 

ELDEST  SON  OF  COLONEL  JOHN.  THE  IMMIGRANT 

In  AWRENCE  WASHINGTON,  the  eldest  child  of  Colonel 
Jolin  of  Wakefield,  by  his  second  wife,  Anne  Pope, 
was  bom  at  his  father's  homestead  in  Westmoreland 
County,  Virginia,  about  1661.  He  married  Mildred, 
daughter  of  Colonel  Augustine  Warner,  of  Gloucester 
County,  and  died  at  his  residence,  Wakefield,  in 
March,  1698,  at  the  age  of  thirty-seven.  His  remains  were  interred 
in  the  family  vault  at  Bridge's  Creek. 

He  had  issue,  first  John  Washington,  bom  at  Wakefield,  1692; 
Augustine  (father  of  the  general),  born  at  Wakefield,  1694;  and  Mil- 
dred, born  at  Wakefield,  1696. 

His  will,  probated  March  30,  1698,  shows  him  to  have  been 
quite  wealthy.  After  making  numerous  specific  bequests  to  friends 
and  distant  relatives,  he  divided  the  rest  and  residue  of  his  personal 
estate,  which  appears  to  have  been  considerable,  equally  between  his 
wife  and  three  children.  To  his  eldest  son,  John,  he  bequeathed  the 
ancestral  mansion,  Wakefield;  to  Augustine,  he  left  large  land  inter- 
ests; and  to  Mildred  he  devised  the  twenty-five  hundred  acres  on 
Hunting  Creek,  which  he  had  inherited  from  his  father  and  which  is 
now  known  as  Mount  Vernon. 

We  shall  make  no  effort  to  follow  the  diverging  lines  of  descent 
through  each  of  the  children  of  Colonel  John  Washington  and  their 
issue,  leaving  this  interesting  and  intricate  work  to  the  experienced 
genealogist,  who  will  find  ample  field  for  the  full  exercise  of  his  attain- 
ments. Confining  our  attention  to  the  direct  line — from  the  founder 
of  Wakefield  to  the  "Man  at  Mount  Vernon" — we  shall  digress  only 
a  step  to  follow  the  widow  and  children  of  Lawrence,  the  son  of  Colonel 
John,  the  immigrant,  dwelling  with  them  for  a  short  period  in  the 
mother  country  and  then  coming  back  again  to  the  lowlands  of  the 
Rappahannock  and  Potomac  where  they  gather  once  more  for  awhile 
around  the  old  fireside  at  Wakefield.  Thence  on  up,  as  the  trail  may 
lead,  to  the  high  grounds  of  Epsewasson,  building  there,  on  the  border- 
line of  a  primitive  civilization,  a  rustic  cottage  which  is  to  mark  the 

7 


8  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN    AND   THE    MASON. 

site  in  years  to  come  of  the  favorite  abode  and  last  resting  place  of 
him  who  would  be  the  hope  and  reverence  of  unborn  multitudes. 

After  the  death  of  her  husband,  Lawrence,  Mrs.  Washington 
(nee  Warner),  with  her  three  children,  John,  Augustine  and  Mildred, 
moved  to  England,  where,  in  a  short  while,  she  married  a  second 
husband,  George  Gale,  of  Whitehaven,  Cumberland  Coimty,  at  which 
place  she  died  in  January,  1701. 

In  her  will,  probated  March  18,  1701,  she  bequeathed  to  her 
husband  (Gale)  one  thousand  pounds  and  devised  the  rest  and  residue 
of  her  estate  equally  between  him  and  her  three  children.  Gale, 
becoming  the  executor  of  the  estate  and  guardian  of  his  stepchildren, 
placed  the  two  boys,  John  and  Augustine,  in  a  grammar  school  at 
Appleby,  near  his  place  of  residence,  Whitehaven. 

Twelve  years  after  the  death  of  his  wife  (171 2),  Gale  emigrated 
to  the  colony  of  Maryland  and  evidently  brought  his  three  step- 
children with  him  to  America.     A  few  years  later,  John,  the  eldest 
son,  married  Katherine Whiting,  of  Gloucester  County,  Virginia,  where 
he  settled  at  a  placed  called  Highgate,  on  the  Pianketank  River. 
There  seems  to  have  been  a  strain  of  the  military  blood  in  the  entire 
Washington  family,  as  this,  the  eldest  son  of  Lawrence  and  uncle  of 
General  George,  bore  the  title  of  major,  probably  of  the  colonial 
militia.     He  was  also  a  churchman  (as  were  his  ancestors),  being  a 
vestryman  of  Petsworth  Parish  and  leading  the  quiet  life  of  a  well- 
to-do  planter.     His  death  occurred  on  September  i,  1746.     One  of 
his  sons,  Warner,  married  Hannah,  daughter  of  William  Fairfax  and 
Deborah  Clark,  of  Belvoir,  who  will  be  brought  prominently  into  this 
narrative  later  on.     Mildred,  the  only  sister  of  John  and  Augustine 
Washington,  married  first  Roger  Gregory,  of  Stafford  County,  Vir- 
ginia, and  second.  Colonel  Henry  Willis,  founder  of  Fredericksburg. 
As  Mildred  Gregory,  she  stood  godmother  for  her  brother  Augustine's 
son,  George  (the  general),  as  will  be  seen  in  the  birth  and  death  record 
in  the  Washington  family  Bible,  a  facsimile  of  which  is  printed  oppo- 
site page  20. 


m^ii^^^^^'^^^s^^^^^ij^n-y 


AUGUSTINE  WASHINGTON 

^  UGUSTINE  WASHINGTON,  father  of  General  George, 
was  the  second  child  of  Lawrence  Washington  and 
Mildred  Warner  and  grandson  of  Colonel  John,  the 
founder  of  Wakefield.  Bom  in  1694,  he  spent  most 
of  his  early  life  at  Appleby  School,  in  England,  return- 
ing to  the  colony  about  17 12.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  or,  to  be  more  specific,  on  April  12,  1 7 1 5 ,  he  married  Jane,  daughter 
of  Caleb  Butler,  an  eminent  lawyer  and  practitioner  of  Westmoreland 
County,  Virginia,  and,  having  purchased  of  his  elder  and  only  brother 
John  (then  Uving  in  Gloucester  County)  the  old  family  mansion, 
Wakefield,  began  his  married  life  as  proprietor  of  the  ancestral  home. 
Augustine  Washington,  hke  his  grandfather.  Colonel  John,  ap- 
pears to  have  been  a  man  of  extraordinary  energy  and  perseverance. 
Inheriting  from  his  mother  a  respectable  estate,  by  judicious  invest- 
ments and  diligent  application  to  business  he  materially  increased  his 
patrimonial  fortunes.  In  addition  to  his  large  farming  interests,  he 
owned  and  commanded  a  sea-going  vessel,  and  engaged  in  the  trans- 
portation of  iron  ore  from  the  numerous  furnaces,  which  he  and  others 
successfully  operated,  to  England,  returning  with  cargoes  of  merchan- 
dise, immigrants,  indented  slaves,  etc.  Among  these  early  iron 
industries  which  deserve  particular  mention  are  "  The  Principio  Iron 
Works,"  on  the  Patapsco  River,  in  Maryland,  and  the  "Kingsbury," 
"  Laconshire, ' '  and  "  Accokeek  "  in  Virginia ;  the  last  mentioned  being 
located  on  Captain  Washington's  own  estate  in  Stafford  County.  In 
1750  tliis  plant  alone  furnished  the  English  market  with  four  hundred 
and  ten  tons  of  pig  iron,  which  will  indicate  the  extent  of  the  industry 
in  the  colony  at  that  early  period. 

The  first  wife  of  Augustine  Washington,  Jane  Butler,  died  and 
was  interred  in  the  family  vault  at  Bridge's  Creek  in  1728,  and  on 
March  6,  1 730,  he  married  for  his  second  wife,  Mary  Ball,*  daughter  of 
Colonel  Joseph  Ball,  of  Lancaster  County,  Virginia,  whose  residence, 
"Epping  Forest,"  w^as  situated  near  the  mouth  of  the  Rappahannock 
River.  That  Mary  Ball,  affectionately  knowTi  as  "The  Rose  of 
Epping  Forest,"  was  a  splendid  specimen  of  womanhood  there  can 
be  little  reasonable  doubt,  imless  we  refuse  absolutely  to  accept  as 


*The  picture  of  Mary  Ball  on  the  opposite  page  is  claimed  to  be  authentic.    The  writer 
knows  nothing  of  its  history. 

9 


lO  WASHINGTON    THE   MAN    AND   THE    MASON. 

correct  contemporaneous  descriptions  of  her  person.  Tall  and  stately, 
with  brown  hair  and  large,  penetrating  brown  eyes,  clear-cut  features 
and  a  serene,  intelligent  expression,  the  very  prototype  of  her  dis- 
tinguished son,  she  must  have  been  a  woman  of  particularly  striking 
appearance,  far  above  the  ordinary  in  physical  perfection.  But 
comely  and  attractive  as  she  was  reputed  to  be  and  undoubtedly  was, 
these  personal  charms  of  form  and  feature  sink  into  insignificance  and 
obscurity  when  compared  with  the  beauties  of  her  well-poised  mind 
and  resolute  Christian  character.  Pure  of  heart,  she  transmitted  to 
her  children  the  sublime  lessons  of  her  exemplary  life.  Possessing  in 
a  remarkable  degree  that  inestimable  power  of  imparting  to  others 
the  strength  and  virtue  of  her  own  character,  she  was  indeed  by  nature 
equipped  to  train  for  a  grateful  posterity  the  highest  ideal  of  human 
perfection. 

Just  where  Mary  Ball  and  Augustine  Washington  first  met  or 
where  they  were  married  is  not  known.  The  Reverend  C.  C.  Colton, 
an  Enghsh  author,  states  that  Captain  Washington  first  met  his 
bride  in  England.  "He  was,"  according  to  this  authority,  "thrown 
out  of  a  carriage  and  fell  (figuratively  speaking)  into  the  company  of  a 
lady  who  subsequently  emigrated  with  him  to  Virginia."  This  story 
has  been  discredited,  but  the  fact  that  Captain  Washington,  as  a  sea- 
faring man,  made  frequent  trips  to  England,  and  the  further  fact,  as 
claimed  by  some  writers,  that  when  Colonel  Joseph  Ball,  father  of 
Mary,  died  in  1711,  his  widow,  who  was  an  Englishwoman,  disap- 
peared with  her  two  children  from  the  records  and  registers  of  Virginia, 
give  color  to  the  assertion.  Later  the  letters  of  Mary  Washington  to 
her  brother,  Joseph  Ball,  in  London,  showing  an  intimacy  and  affec- 
tion for  Joseph's  wife,  who  had  never  been  to  America,  which  could 
hardly  exist  without  personal  association,  furnish  evidence  that  Mary 
had  at  some  time  visited  her  brother  and  made  the  acquaintance  of 
his  wife.  No  positive  proof  exists,  however,  that  such  was  the  case, 
yet  the  English  clergyman's  statement  is  certainly  borne  out  in  a 
measure  by  circumstantial  evidence.  Others  were  equally  sure  that, 
after  the  death  of  Mary's  father.  Colonel  Joseph  Ball,  her  mother 
married  the  third  husband,  Captain  Richard  Hughes,  whose  residence 
was  at  Sandy  Point,  near  the  mouth  of  Yeocomico  River,  in  the 
county  of  Northumberland,  Virginia,  and  that  it  was  at  this  place, 
while  living  at  the  home  of  her  stepfather,  that  Mary  became  the  wife 
of  Augustine  Washington.  In  any  event,  about  the  year  1730,  he 
brought  his  bride  to  Wakefield,  the  ancestral  home  of  his  family. 


AUGUSTINE    WASHINGTON.  II 

which,  regardless  of  spurious  prints  representing  the  house  as  small 
and  unpretentious,  must  have  been  what  General  Washington  said  it 
was — "  a  colonial  mansion. ' '  There  they  continued  to  hve  until  about 
the  close  of  the  year  1734  when,  "owing  to  sickness  in  his  family,"  he 
moved  to  the  highlands  of  the  upper  Potomac  and  established  a  resi- 
dence on  his  Epsewasson  or  Hunting  Creek*  estate  (then  in  Prince 
William,  now  Fairfa.x  County).  This  estate,  it  will  be  recalled,  origi- 
nally acquired  by  Colonel  John  Washington  by  grant  from  Lord 
Culpeper,  was  devised  by  him  to  his  son  LawTence,  who  bequeathed 
it  to  his  daughter  Mildred  (Mrs.  Roger  Gregory-),  and  she  in  turn, 
with  her  husband  on  the  17th  day  of  May,  1726,  sold  the  property  to 
her  brother  Augustine  for  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds. 
Thus  begins  in  the  latter  part  of  1734  the  occupation,  by  the  Wash- 
ington family,  of  what  is  known  to-day  as  Mount  Vernon,  and  with 
the  exception  of  three  years  (from  1740  to  1743)  it  continued  unbroken 
until  185S,  when  Colonel  John  Augustine  Washington,  the  last  private 
owner,  transferred  it  to  the  Ladies'  Mount  Vernon  Association  of 
the  Union. 

The  most  learned  liistorians  and  genealogists  of  the  country  did 
not  know  until  a  comparatively  recent  date  that  the  father  of  General 
Wasliington  had  ever  resided  in  the  neighborhood  of  Epsewasson  or 
that  any  of  his  children  had  been  bom  at  that  place,  and,  in  the 
absence  of  any  tangible  information  bearing  on  the  subject,  the  early 
record  of  the  famous  grant  was  clothed  in  considerable  mystery.  Who 
it  was  that  built  the  old  mill  on  Epsewasson  or  Dogue  Creek  and  the 
brick  bam,  still  standing  near  Mount  Vernon  house,  or  who  dug  the 
first  foundation  and  reared  the  first  home  on  the  site  of  the  present 
mansion,  were  questions  often  asked  and  as  often  unanswered  until 
a  few  years  ago,  when,  by  the  merest  chance,  the  Reverend  Phihp 
Slaughter,  D.  D.,  an  eminent  Episcopal  divine  and  historian  of  note, 
discovered  the  vestry  record  of  Truro  Parish.  This  was  indeed  a 
fortunate  and  valuable  discovery,  for  not  only  is  the  old  manuscript  a 
history  of  the  church  proceedings,  but  also  a  complete  and  authentic 
record  of  all  the  important  events  of  the  parish.  As  the  vestrymen 
of  Episcopal  churches  in  those  days  performed  the  civil  duties  of 
magistrates,  or  "divided  with  the  county  coiut  the  responsibility  of 
local  government,"  we  get  through  this  ancient  document  the  secular 
as  well  as  the  "ecclesiastical"  transactions  of  the  community. 


*In  the  division  of  the  grant  Augustine  Washington  received  the  portion  lying  on  Hunting 
Creek,  the  neighborhood  was  known  as  Epsewasson. 


12  WASHINGTON    THE    MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

Beginning  in  1732,  it  extends  over  a  period  of  more  than  three- 
quarters  of  a  century  and  contains  on  its  roster  the  familiar  names  of 
some  of  the  greatest  men  in  history,  who,  as  vestrymen  or  wardens, 
discharged  their  duties  with  credit  to  themselves  and  honor  to  the 
community,  just  as  they  administered  the  affairs  of  state  in  after  years 
to  the  glory  of  all  mankind.  The  name  of  "Augustine  Washington, 
Gent."  first  appears  on  the  register  on  November  18,  1735,  "  and  being 
this  day  sworn  one  of  the  members  of  this  vestry  took  his  place  thereon 
accordingly."  Captain  Washington  continued  to  serve  in  this  capac- 
ity, taking  an  active  part  in  the  proceedings,  until  the  latter  part 
of  1739. 

The  fact  that  he  had  lived  at  Epsewasson  is  now  firmly  established 
and  the  mystery  which  gathered  around  the  mill  and  first  residence 
there  is  also  solved.  Indeed  the  thread  of  Augustine  Washington's 
life  is  complete ;  the  missing  link  was  found  in  the  faded  and  time-worn 
record  of  Truro  Parish,  sacredly  preserved  by  the  vigilant  and  faithful 
custodian  of  Mount  Vernon  Mansion.  Augustine  resided  only  five 
years  at  Epsewasson,  but  they  must  have  been  extremely  busy  years 
to  accomplish  what  he  appears  to  have  done  in  such  a  comparatively 
short  time.  The  grist  mill  erected  by  him  on  the  banks  of  Epsewasson 
Creek  about  two  miles  west  of  the  present  mansion  house  deserves 
more  than  passing  attention.  It  was  in  continuous  operation  for 
more  than  a  century  and  in  a  fair  state  of  preservation  as  late  as  1850. 
Some  portions  of  the  foundation  are  still  intact  and  the  excavations 
for  the  race  can  be  easily  traced  along  almost  its  entire  length  to  the 
dam  on  Dogue  Run,  more  than  a  mile  above.  It  seems  to  have  been 
a  source  of  considerable  pride  to  General  Washington,  who  improved 
and  very  successfully  operated  it  for  nearly  fifty  years  and,  according 
to  his  own  statement,  the  flour  manufactured  there  was  of  "such 
superior  quality  that  it  passed  in  English  markets  without  inspection. " 
It  was  the  last  place  visited  by  the  General  while  inspecting  his  farms 
two  days  before  his  sudden  death.  The  picture  given  of  the  old 
structure  on  another  page  is  correct  in  almost  every  detail,  even  the 
surroundings  and  topography  being  faithfully  portrayed.  The  roads 
still  lead  by  the  site,  and  the  little  house  on  the  knoll  is  standing 
intact  as  it  probably  was  on  the  day  the  General  saw  it  last  in  1799. 
(See  the  map  of  Mount  Vernon  farms,  published  elsewhere  in  this 
work.)  The  walls,  laid  firm  and  strong  in  oyster-shell  lime,  began  to 
disintegrate  and  yield  to  the  "grind  of  the  elements"  back  in  the 
"forties,"  and,  just  prior  to  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  neighboring 


s^- 


HOUSE    AT    PINE    GROVE    WHERE    AUGUSTINE   WASHINGTON    DIED. 


:~^i«t«.?ijr.  •-•> 


>v5u2f< 


OLD   MILL   NEAR   MT.    VERNON   ERECTED   BY   AUGUSTINE   WASHLVGTON. 


AUGUSTINE   WASHINGTON.  1 3 

farmers,  unconscious  of  any  act  of  vandalism,  assisted  nature  in  its 
slow  destruction  by  carting  away  the  stones  for  foundations  of  modern 
buildings. 

We  publish  here  a  touching  tribute  to  the  venerable  landmark, 
written  by  William  H.  Snowden,  Esq.,  A.  M.,  of  Andalusia,  Virginia, 
member  of  the  Virginia  Historical  Society : 

But  go  there,  reader,  as  the  writer  has  gone  many  a  time,  if  your  sympathies 
and  reverential  inclinations  are  for  objects  like  these,  and  take  your  seat  in  the 
drowsy  quiet  of  a  midsummer  day  under  the  shadowy  branches  of  oue  of  the  oaks 
still  remaining  of  the  olden  forest;  and  while  you  gaze  on  the  briar  grown  ruins  and 
listen  to  the  murmur  of  the  dwindled  stream  which  goes  hurrying  on  in  its  course  to 
join  the  waters  of  the  majestic  bay  but  a  mile  or  two  beyond,  the  mystic  veU  which 
ides  the  vanished  years  of  a  century  and  a  half  will  rise,  and  lo!  all  around  you 
will  throng  the  faded  scenes  and  forms  of  the  early  days.  The  fallen  stones  will 
eve  from  the  scattered  heaps  under  the  straggling  vines  and  brambles  and  take 
their  places  in  the  walls  again.  The  mill  of  Augustine  and  George  Washington  will 
be  itself  once  more.  The  water  will  come  poiuing  down  over  the  mossy  wheel. 
You  will  hear  the  clattering  of  the  grinding  gear,  and  the  plantation  swains  will 
bring  in  and  carry  away  their  burdens.  You  will  see  the  dusty  miller  taking  his 
tolls  and  filling  the  bins.  A  horseman  wiU  ride  up,  and  hitching  his  steed  by  the 
door,  go  in  and  hold  parley  with  the  miller,  and  you  will  not  need  to  ask  who  he 
is,  for  his  stately  mien  and  dignified  bearing  will  at  once  proclaim  him  the  pro- 
prietor. You  will  see,  too,  the  trading  schooner  waiting  at  the  landing  for  its  cargo 
for  Jamaica  or  Barbadoes.  The  early  pioneers  in  rough  homespun  garb  and  quaint 
vehicles  will  pass  along  the  old  highway  by  you  in  toilsome  march  for  the  new 
Canaan  of  their  imaginations,  there  to  fix  their  landmarks  and  lay  the  hearthstones. 
Anon,  you  will  see  straggling  companies  of  provincial  troops  dressed  in  kersey  or 
buckskin,  with  heavy  flint  lock  muskets  on  their  shoulders,  hurrying  up  to  the  camp 
at  the  new  bom  hamlet  of  Alexandria.  General  Braddock  and  Governor  Dinwiddle, 
Commodore  Kepple  and  General  John  St.  Clair  will  ride  along  in  the  pomp  and  vice- 
regal chariot  and  dashing  retinue  and  guards  of  British  regulars  in  showy  scarlet 
uniforms  bright  with  gilding  and  tinsel.  War's  wild  alarm  has  been  sounded,  and 
the  frontiers  must  be  held  against  the  encroachments  of  the  French  and  their  mur- 
derous Indian  allies.  Among  other  passers  up  the  highway  you  will  see  a  stripling 
wagon  boy  in  homely  workman's  garb  driving  his  own  team,  and  like  the  rest  of  the 
wayfarers  hurrying  to  the  camp.  He  had  been  for  years  in  the  employ  of  John 
Ballandine,  hauling  iron  ore  to  his  furnace  at  Colchester,  but  the  drum  and  fife  of 
the  troopers  and  the  wild  rumors  of  war  have  opened  the  vision  of  his  adventurous 
spirit  to  other  duties  and  other  lines  of  action.  He  is  going  to  offer  his  team  to 
Braddock's  quartermaster  to  haul  supplies  for  the  army  over  the  mountains.  Very 
obscure,  lowly  and  friendless  was  this  wagon  boy  then,  but  under  that  homespun 
shirt  and  buckskin  cap  were  the  lion  heart  and  comprehensive  intellect  which  when, 
ere  long,  the  opportunities  came  to  him,  were  to  win  for  him  a  renown  as  a  soldier 
and  commander,  world  wide  and  imperishable. 

The  boy  who  plodded  over  the  weary  roads  of  the  Occoquan  with  his  loads  of 


14  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

ore  for  the  furnace  became  in  after  years  the  strategic  and  trusted  soldier,  the 
intrepid  leader  of  the  riflemen  of  Virginia  and  the  swaying  spirit  and  hero  of  Quebec, 
Saratoga  and  Cowpens — Daniel  Morgan. 

Just  where  Augustine  Washington  built  the  first  residence  at 
Epsewasson  is  not  positively  known,  but  all  indications  point  to  the 
present  site  of  Mount  Vernon  house  as  the  most  plausible.  He  cer- 
tainly erected  a  brick  bam,  still  standing  near  the  mansion,  and  in  this 
structure  he  undoubtedly  housed  his  stock  and  farming  implements. 
The  high  ground  and  the  commanding  prospect  of  the  broad,  beautiful 
river  were  in  themselves  sufiicient  inducement  for  the  selection  of  tliis 
location  for  his  dwelling  in  preference  to  the  lowlands  near  the  mill, 
at  least  two  miles  away  from  the  bam,  as  others  have  contended. 
A  careful  investigation  of  the  whole  subject  and  a  comparison  and 
analysis  of  the  contentions  of  numerous  authorities  have  led  to  the 
firm  conviction  that  Captain  Washington  dug  the  first  foundation  and 
built  the  first  residence  on  the  present  site  of  the  middle  portion  of  the 
Mount  Vernon  mansion.  Equally  as  certain  is  it  that  this  building 
was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1739  and  that,  on  account  of  its  destruction, 
Captain  Washington  moved  to  his  Pine  Grove  farm  on  the  Rappa- 
hannock River  in  King  George  (now  Stafford)  County,  opposite  the 
city  of  Fredericksburg. 

It  has  been  and  is  still  claimed  that  Major  Lawrence  Washington, 
eldest  son  of  the  captain,  erected  the  middle  portion  of  the  present 
Mount  Vernon  house  in  1743.  This  contention,  notwithstanding  the 
stone  at  Mount  Vernon  taken  from  the  walls  of  the  old  house  and 
marked  "L.  W."  is  undoubtedly  an  error,  as  in  1740  Lawrence 
Washington  enlisted  in  Colonel  (Sir  William)  Gooch's  regiment  of 
Virginia  militia  and  served  in  the  Cartagena  campaign  under  Admiral 
Vernon  until  the  close  of  the  year  1742.  A  few  months  after  his 
return  Augustine,  his  father,  died  (April  12,  1743),  and  his  will  shows 
that  Lawrence  was  then  living  at  Mount  Vernon  in  a  house  given  him 
by  his  father  "together  with  all  the  slaves,  cattle  and  stock  of  all  kinds 
whatsover  and  all  the  household  furniture  whatsoever  now  in  and  upon 
or  which  has  been  commonly  possessed  by  my  said  son,  together  with 
the  said  tract  of  land  and  mill."  To  this  house  Major  Lawrence  took 
his  young  wife,  Anne  Fairfax,  the  following  July  (1743). 

With  such  evidence  before  us,  we  are  forced  to  the  conclusion 
that  Augustine  Washington  rebuilt  the  middle  portion  of  IMount 
Vernon  house  on  the  site  of  his  former  and  first  residence  during  the 
absence  of  and  for  his  son  Lawrence. 


AUGUSTINE   WASHINGTON.  1 5 

Knowing,  in  a  general  way,  that  Captain  Washington  had  been 
forced  to  move  to  tlie  Rappanhannock  farm  on  account  of  the  loss  of 
his  dwelling,  the  absence  of  any  knowledge  of  his  residence  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Epsewasson  led  to  the  erroneous  supposition  and 
statements,  by  early  biographers,  that  it  was  Wakefield  which  had 
gone  down  before  the  "fire  king,"  when,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  that 
venerable  mansion  was  still  standing  at  the  close  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War. 

The  discovery  of  the  Pohick  or  Tnno  Parish  register,  with  its 
wonderful  store  of  information,  explained  the  myster}^  which  had 
baffled  and  confounded  the  wisest  investigators.  Since  Wakefield  was 
still  standing,  the  reader  may  be  curious  to  know  why  the  father  of 
General  Washington  did  not  return  to  that  commodious  mansion 
instead  of  the  little  house  on  the  Rappahannock,  which,  as  shown  in 
the  engraving,  was  ver}^  unpretentious.  The  question  is  easily 
answered.  His  son  Augustine,  having  returned  from  Appleby  School 
in  England,  had  been  or  was  about  to  be  married  to  the  Westmore- 
land heiress.  Miss  Aylett,  and  in  anticipation  of  the  event  had  made 
all  necessary  arrangements  to  occupy  this  property  himself,  which 
he  did  a  very  short  while  afterwards. 

Augustine  Washington  lived  only  a  few  years  after  taking  up  his 
residence  in  King  George  (now  Stafford)  County.  He  died  after  a 
brief  illness,  April  12,  1743,  at  the  age  of  forty-nine,  in  the  very  prime 
of  life,  having  contracted  a  violent  cold  from  exposure  in  a  storm 
which,  notwithstanding  his  robust  constitution,  resulted  in  a  compli- 
cation of  diseases  very  similar  to  the  affection  which  caused  the  death 
of  his  illustrious  son  in  the  latter  part  of  the  centur}^ 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  General  Washington's  father  was  an 
extraordinary  man,  a  man  of  intellectual  force  and  pure  morality. 
A  prominent  contemporary  (Mr.  Withers)  of  Stafford  County,  who 
knew  him  well,  has  left  a  tribute  to  his  memor)',  which  is  a  striking 
testimonial  of  neighborly  affection  and  speaks  for  itself.  "  He  was," 
says  this  friend,  "a  man  of  imcommon  height,  noble  appearance, 
manly  proportions  and  extraordinary  muscular  power,  and  such 
was  his  cliaracter  for  magnanimity,  justice  and  moral  worth  that  he 
commanded,  wherever  he  appeared  and  in  whatever  he  engaged,  uni- 
versal and  unhesitating  deference.  His  disposition  was  mild,  his 
manner  courteous  and  his  private  character  without  reproach." 
That  he  possessed  rare  business  qualities  and  tireless  energy  is  also 
most  evident. 


1 6  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

Much  emphasis  has  been  laid  upon  the  character  of  Mary  Wash- 
ington. The  example  she  set  for  the  emulation  of  her  children  and  the 
rules  of  conduct  she  taught  them  have  been  the  favorite  theme  for  the 
panegyrist  in  every  decade  since  her  death.  No  doubt  she  was  a 
worthy  matron,  a  woman  of  uncommon  worth,  who  deserved  every 
tribute  paid  to  her  motherly  virtues.  No  doubt  she  had  a  great  deal 
to  do  with  moulding  the  character  and  shaping  the  course  of  the  lives 
of  her  children.  Still  this  should  not  prevent  a  just  recognition  of  the 
intrinsic  worth  of  that  noble  father,  whose  simple  lessons  on  the  value 
of  truth  and  honesty  made  an  indehble  impress  upon  the  mind  of  his 
precocious  son  and  became  the  rule  and  guide  of  his  wonderful  life  in 
all  his  future  transactions. 

The  Reverend  Dr.  Edward  McGuire,  who  married  a  granddaughter 
of  Betty  Lewis,  Washington's  sister,  and  who  was  for  forty-five  years 
rector  of  St.  George's  Church,  in  his  work  entitled  "The  Religious 
Opinions  and  Character  of  Washington, "  published  in  1836,  has  this 
to  say  of  Captain  Washington : 

Between  him  (George)  and  his  father  it  would  seem  that  a  delightful  intercourse 
always  subsisted;  it  being  a  matter  of  regret  to  the  latter  that  he  was  obliged  to  be 
separated  from  his  child  even  during  the  hours  of  school.  Mr.  Washington  sur- 
vived his  removal  from  Westmoreland  County  but  a  few  years.*  He  had  time 
enough  allowed  him,  however,  to  mark  the  budding  virtues  of  his  son.  It  was  in 
the  Easter  hoUdays  that  Mr.  Washington  was  taken  sick.  George  was  absent  at 
the  time,  on  a  visit  to  some  of  his  acquaintances  at  Chotank,  King  George  (then 
Stafford)  County.  He  was  sent  for  after  his  father's  sickness  became  serious,  and 
reached  the  paternal  abode  in  time  to  witness  the  last  struggle  and  receive  the 
parting  benediction  of  his  beloved  parent. 

Augustine  Washington's  remains  were  interred  in  the  family 
vault  at  Bridge's  Creek  and  liis  will,  dated  April  1 1 , 1 743,  was  admitted 
to  probate  in  King  George  County,  May  6,  1743.  He  left  more  than 
five  thousand  acres  of  land,  located  in  Prince  William  (now  Fairfax), 
Westmoreland,  King  George  and  Stafford  counties,  besides  a  large 
amount  of  personal  property  consisting  of  negro  slaves,  horses,  cattle, 
and  numerous  shares  of  stock  in  several  iron  industries,  all  of  which 
he  divided  amongst  his  wife  and  several  cliildren. 

His  children  then  living  were  Lawrence  and  Augustine  by  his  first 
wife,  Jane  Butler;  and  George,  Elizabeth,  John  Augustine,  Charles 
and  Samuel  by  his  second  wafe,  Mary  Ball.     To  Lawrence  he  willed. 


*ShouId  be  Epsawasson,  Fairfax  County.  Mr.  McGuire  did  not  know  of  Aug:ustine  Washing- 
ton's residence  in  Fairfax.  As  the  Pohick  Vestry  register  had  not  been  discovered,  he  falls  into 
the  error  common  among  the  writers  of  that  day. 


AUGUSTINE  WASHINGTON.  1 7 

as  before  mentioned,  the  Mount  Vernon  property  with  the  mill,  con- 
sisting of  twenty-five  hundred  acres,  more  or  less,  and  a  tract  of  land 
on  Maddox  Creek  in  the  county  of  Westmoreland,  together  with  his 
interest  in  several  iron  works.  To  his  daughter,  Betty,  two  negro 
children,  named  Mary  and  Betty,  with  the  provision  that  Lawrence 
was  to  pay  her  four  hundred  pounds  in  cash.  To  Augustine  he  gave 
Wakefield  with  twenty-five  head  of  cattle,  forty  hogs,  twenty  sheep 
and  a  negro  man  named  Frank,  besides  the  slaves  formerly  given  his 
mother,  and  provided  that  Lawrence  should  purchase,  from  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  iron  works,  three  other  slaves  for  Augustine.  To  George 
he  willed  the  farm  on  the  Rappahannock  opposite  Fredericksburg 
with  an  interest  in  some  other  real  estate  and  ten  negro  slaves.  To 
Samuel  he  gave  land  on  Chotank  in  Stafford  County  to  the  extent  of 
six  hundred  acres  and  a  moiety  in  land  lying  on  Deep  Run.  To  John 
Augustine  he  left  seven  hundred  acres  of  land  on  Maddox  Creek  in  the 
county  of  Westmoreland,  and  to  Charles  he  left  seven  hundred  acres 
in  Prince  William  County.  The  residue  of  his  estate,  which  seems 
to  have  been  considerable,  he  divided  between  his  wife,  Mary  Ball, 
and  her  children.  To  his  wife  he  also  left  the  crops  made  on  Bridge's 
Creek,  Chotank  and  Rappahannock  waters  at  the  time  of  his  death 
and  the  privilege  of  working  the  "  Bridge's  Creek  quarter  for  the  term 
of  five  years  next  after  his  decease,  during  which  time  she  might  fix  a 
quarters  on  Deep  Run."  He  required  Lawrence  and  Augustine  to 
pay  half  his  debts  and  bequeathed  to  them  half  of  what  was  owing  to 
him.  In  a  sort  of  codicil  he  left  to  George  "  one  lot  of  land  in  the  town 
of  Fredericksburg." 

During  Augustine  Washington's  residence  at  Epsewasson,  the 
Truro  Parish  Vestry,  of  which  he  was  a  member  and  present  at  the 
meeting  held  August  13,  1737,  elected  the  Rev.  Charles  Greene  rector, 
who  subsequently,  at  the  instance  of  Mr.  Washington,  appointed  a 
man  by  the  name  of  William  Grove,  clerk.  A  division  of  sentiment 
arose  over  this  appointment  and  Grove,  to  preserve  harmony,  declined 
the  position  of  clerk,  accepting  that  of  sexton.  Some  writers  opine 
that  this  sexton  (Grove)  was  a  political  convict  brought  over  from 
England  by  Captain  Washington  and  that  the  rural  pedagogue, 
Hobby  (George  Washington's  first  school  teacher),  was  none  other 
than  this  exiled  sexton,  who  had  moved  with  the  captain  from  Epse- 
wasson to  Stafford,  " Hobby"  being  a  nickname.  However  tliis  may 
be,  as  the  first  teacher  of  the  world's  greatest  hero.  Hobby  has  found 
an  enduring  place  in  history. 


1 8  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

Immediately  after  the  death  of  his  father,  George  went  to  hve 
with  his  half-brother  Augustine  at  Wakefield.  Here  he  found  a  very 
comfortable  and  luxurious  home,  for  Augustine,  having  married  an 
immensely  wealthy  lady,  was  living  in  great  state,  had  numerous 
servants,  an  elegantly  furnished  house  and  finely  stocked  farm.  (A 
subsequent  inventory  of  his  personal  property  showed  seventy-seven 
slaves,  thirty-six  horses  and  other  stock  in  proportion.)  Thus 
favorably  situated,  George  continued  his  studies  under  an  excellent 
teacher,  Mr.  Williams,  for  several  years,  and  it  was  during  this  period 
that  an  interesting  incident  in  the  life  of  the  futiu-e  president  took 
place. 

Lawrence  Washington,  George's  eldest  half-brother,  then  married 
to  Anne,  daughter  of  Sir  William  Fairfax  of  Belvoir,  and  living  at 
Mount  Vernon,  had  become  a  man  of  wealth  and  importance  in  the 
colony.  He  was  adjutant-general  of  its  forces  and  member  of  the 
House  of  Burgesses  from  his  district.  Solicitous  of  his  younger 
brother's  future  welfare  and  with  an  earnest  desire  to  place  him  in  a 
position  where  his  manifest  abilities  would  ultimately  win  promotion, 
he  secured  for  George,  through  the  influence  and  assistance  of  his 
father-in-law  (Sir  William  Fairfax),  an  appointment  as  midshipman 
in  the  British  Na\'y.  This,  however,  did  not  meet  with  the  approval 
of  George's  mother,  who  positively  refused  her  consent  to  a  long 
separation  from  her  eldest  boy.  Neither  did  she  relish  the  idea  of 
his  becoming  a  sailor.  The  following  extracts  from  letters  on  the 
subject  will  indicate  to  some  extent  the  amount  of  influence  brought 
to  bear  on  this  devoted  parent  by  Lawrence  in  an  effort  to  win  her 
approval  of  the  naval  appointment. 

In  September,  1746,  Sir  William  Fairfax  was  in  Fredericksburg 
on  business  and  wrote  to  his  son-in-law  at  Mount  Vernon : 

George  has  been  with  us,  and  says  he  will  be  steady  and  thankfully  follow  your 
advice  as  his  best  Friend.  I  gave  him  his  Mother's  letter  to  deliver  with  Caution 
not  to  show  his.  I  have  spoken  to  Dr.  Spencer  who  I  find  is  often  at  the  widow's 
and  has  some  influence  to  persuade  Her  to  think  better  of  your  advice  in  putting 
Him  to  Sea  with  good  Recommendation. 

And  from  the  same  place,  a  few  days  later,  September  18,  a 
friend,  Robert  Jackson,  addressed  Lawrence  on  the  subject : 

I  am  afraid  that  Mrs.  Washington  will  not  keep  up  to  her  first  resolution.  She 
seems  to  intimate  a  dislike  to  George's  going  to  sea  and  says  persons  have  told  her 
it  is  a  very  bad  scheme.     She  offers  several  trifling  objections  such  as  fond  and 


a 


4, 

3 


AUGUSTINE   WASHINGTON.  1 9 

unthinking  mothers  naturally  suggest,  and  I  find  that  one  word  against  his  going 
has  more  weight  than  ten  for  it.  Colonel  William  Fairfax  seems  desirous  he  should 
go  and  desired  me  to  acquaint  you  with  Mrs.  Washington's  sentiments.  I  intend 
shortly  to  take  an  opportunity  to  talk  with  her  and  will  let  you  know  the  result. 

There  is  another  letter  before  us  of  an  entirely  different  character. 
Homely  in  phrase  but  straight  to  the  point,  it  came  the  following 
spring  and  is  from  the  widow's  brother,  Joseph : 

Stratford  by  Bow,  London,  iQth  May,  1747. 
Dear  Sister  :  I  understand  that  you  are  advised  and  have  some  thoughts  of 
putting  yoiu-  son  George  to  sea.  I  tliink  he  had  better  be  put  a  prentice  to  a  tinker, 
for  a  common  sailor  before  the  mast  has  by  no  means  the  common  liberty  of  the 
subject;  for  they  will  press  him  from  a  ship  where  he  has  fifty  shillings  a  month 
and  make  him  take  three-and-twenty,  and  cut  and  slash  him  like  a  negro,  or  rather 
like  a  dog.  And  as  to  any  considerable  preferment  in  the  navy,  it  is  not  to  be 
expected;  there  are  so  many  always  gaping  for  it  here  who  have  interest  and  he  has 
none.  And  if  he  should  get  to  be  master  of  a  Virginia  ship  (which  will  be  very 
difficult  to  do),  a  planter  that  has  three  or  four  hundred  acres  and  three  or  four 
slaves,  if  he  be  industrious,  may  leave  his  family  in  better  bread  than  such  a  master 
of  a  ship  can,  and  if  the  planter  can  get  ever  so  little  beforehand  let  him  begin  to 
buy  goods  for  tobacco  and  sell  them  again  for  tobacco.  I  never  knew  them  men 
miss  while  they  went  in  so,  but  he  must  never  pretend  to  buy  for  money  and  sell 
for  tobacco.  I  never  knew  any  of  them  but  lost  more  than  they  got.  He  must  not 
be  too  hasty  to  get  rich  but  go  on  gently  and  with  patience  as  things  will  naturally 
go.  This  method  without  aiming  to  be  a  fine  gentleman  before  his  time,  wUl  carry 
a  man  more  comfortable  and  surely  through  the  world  than  going  to  sea.  I  pray 
God  keep  you  and  yours.  My  wife  and  daughter  join  me  in  love  and  respect  to 
you  and  yours. 

Your  loving  brother, 

Joseph  Ball. 

Maternal  affection  conquered.  The  widow's  will  prevailed,  and 
she  firmly  resisted  the  entreaties  of  the  wealthy  stepson  and  his 
powerful  allies.  Indeed,  it  is  evident  that  she  had  determined  on  her 
course  before  her  brother's  caustic  letter  arrived,  as  George  was  back 
at  Wakefield  pursuing  his  studies,  but  not  for  long.  His  school  days 
were  nearly  over  and  in  the  following  year,  1748,  we  find  him  installed 
as  a  member  of  his  brother  Lawrence's  family  at  Mount  Vernon, 
where,  with  the  exception  of  occasional  visits  and  short  sojourns  with 
his  mother  at  the  Pine  Grove  farm  on  the  Rappahannock,  he  made 
his  home  until  the  end  came  in  1 799. 

In  advancing  years,  amid  the  privations  of  war,  around  the  deso- 
late camp-fire,  on  the  march  or  in  the  peril  of  deadly  combat,  he  would 


20  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

think  of  its  pleasant  shades  and  tranquil  scenes,  and,  later  still,  many, 
many  times  he  would  turn  with  yearning  from  the  vicissitudes  and 
trials  of  poUtical  strife  to  the  sequestered  home  under  his  own  "vine 
and  fig  tree"  on  the  banks  of  the  beautiful  Potomac.  Its  name  was 
to  be  inseparably  linked  with  his ;  his  fame  would  gather  around  and 
glorify  it  as  the  years  go  by,  and  consecrate  it  in  the  hearts  of  the 
American  people. 


CuiqUdUTio  /^a^/ima/tmyaJii  ,//^. 


7  7 


/in/^dd/OtiHf^  •y'/la^tc>  /l 


7 


•/ 


^ 


'ifr-n.. 


IfJ,.  .^,     /o.    J'l  ^  ^^ 


//,n 


y- 


•^v 


I  !■•     ilF     AlfU-STINF.     AND     MARY     WASHINGTOV. 


LAWRENCE  WASHINGTON  OF  MOUNT  VERNON 

jT  AWRENCE  WASHINGTON,  the  eldest  son  of  Augus- 
^        tine  by  bis  first  wife,  Jane  Butler,  was  bom  at  Wake- 


field, Westmoreland  County,  Virginia,  in  1718,  and 
before  his  death,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-four  (1752), 
had  given  ample  proof  of  unusual  merit  and  abihty. 
Educated  at  Appleby  Grammar  School,  one  of  the 
best  institutions  of  its  class  in  England  and  the  Alma  Mater  of  his 
father,  he  returned  to  the  colony  about  1738  or  1739  well  equipped 
to  assume  the  exacting  duties  and  responsibilities  of  pubhc  life  which 
were  soon  to  devolve  upon  him. 

This  was  a  period  of  feverish  unrest  amongst  the  European 
countries,  which  collaterally  involved  the  American  provinces. 
Indeed  the  situation  there  was  exceedingly  grave  and  rapidly  growing 
worse,  as  England  and  Spain  were  making  active  preparations  for  war 
in  the  Antilles.  Spanish  outrages  on  British  commerce  had  provoked 
prompt  and  vigorous  retaliation.  Admiral  Vernon,  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  Enghsh  forces  in  the  West  Indies,  had  captured  Porto 
Bello  on  the  Isthmus  of  Darien.and  the  Spanish  government,  with  the 
assistance  of  France,  was  pushing  elaborate  preparations  to  avenge 
the  blow.  England,  now  aroused  to  tmusual  energy,  quickened  her 
pace  and  hastily  assembled  a  large  land  force  on  the  island  of  Jamaica, 
under  General  Wentworth,  with  ample  marine  transportation  facili- 
ties, preparatory  to  a  general  attack  on  Cartagena  in  the  Spanish 
province  of  Colombia,  South  America. 

These  warUke  movements  revived  the  dormant  miUtary  spirit  in 
the  colonies,  and  in  a  very  short  while  four  battalions  of  Virginia 
infantry  were  enlisted  for  immediate  service  and  placed  under  the 
cormnand  of  Governor  (Sir  WiUiam)  Gooch. 

Lawrence  Washington,  possessing  a  spark  of  the  miHtant  fire  of 
his  ancestors  as  well  as  a  sincere  devotion  to  the  crown  of  England  and 
her  just  causes,  secured  a  commission  as  captain  of  the  provincial 
contingent,  and  in  obedience  to  the  order  of  the  Virginia  Council, 
issued  August,  1740,  embarked  with  his  regiment  to  join  Vernon  and 
Wentworth  in  the  Bahamas.     The  expedition,  so  deliberately  planned 


22  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

against  Cartagena,  proved  not  only  a  pathetic  failure  as  a  military 
and  naval  movement  but  a  serious  disaster  to  the  EngUsh  and  colonial 
forces  engaged. 

On  March  4,  1741,  Vernon's  superb  fleet,  composed  of  twenty- 
nine  ships  of  the  line,  eighty  small  vessels,  fifteen  thousand  sailors  and 
twelve  thousand  land  troops,  among  them  the  Virginia  militia, 
appeared  before  the  battlements  of  the  Spanish-American  city.  It 
must  have  been  (on  parade)  a  gorgeous  naval  pageant,  far  more 
pompous  than  effective.  Indeed,  the  whole  affair  bordered  on  the 
burlesque  and  suggests  a  prodigious  miscalculation  and  fiasco.  The 
range  of  the  ships'  guns  was  not  sufficient  for  effective  use  on  the 
beleagured  city,  while  the  ladders  provided  were  too  short  for  the 
land  forces  to  scale  the  enemy's  battlements.  Confusion  and  chaos 
reigned.  Beaten  on  every  hand,  hurled  back  from  every  quarter  by 
the  overpowering  victorious  Spanish  forces,  Vernon's  army  suffered  a 
most  humiliating  and  disastrous  defeat.  Of  the  one  thousand  Virginia 
troops,  who,  according  to  Irving,  "acted  v/ith  consummate  bravery," 
six  hundred  were  either  killed  or  wounded,  and  the  remnant  of  the 
entire  force,  colonials  included,  scattered  over  swampy,  miasmatic 
islands,  soon  fell  an  easy  prey  to  the  deadly  climatic  fever,  more  terrible 
in  its  consequences  than  the  bloody  battle  itseff.  Colonel  Gooch, 
young  Washington's  regimental  superior,  became  a  victim  of  the  pre- 
vailing epidemic  and  returned  to  the  colony  disappointed  and  despon- 
dent, broken  in  both  health  and  spirit.  The  command  devolving  upon 
Captain  Washington,  he  sustained  under  adverse  circumstances  and 
with  the  utmost  courage  and  fortitude  the  privations  and  perils  of 
his  desperate  situation.  Though  himself  enfeebled  by  the  effects  of 
a  baneful  climate  and  enervating  fever,  he  continued  to  serve  until 
1742.  Returning  with  his  emaciated  battalions  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  year,  he  took  up  his  permanent  residence  at  Epsev^^asson  (to  wliich 
he  then  gave  the  name  of  Mount  Vernon,  in  honor  of  his  recent  com- 
mander) in  the  spring  of  1 743,  just  about  the  time  of  his  father's  death, 
and,  on  the  19th  of  the  following  July,  was  married  to  Anne,  eldest 
daughter  of  Colonel  William  Fairfax,  whose  plantation  "Belvoir" 
was  adjacent  to  that  of  Epsewasson. 

Anne  Fairfax,  the  first  mistress  of  Mount  Vernon,  "  left  a  mansion 
for  a  cottage."  Her  new  home.  Mount  Vernon,  had  just  been  erected 
and  was  an  unpretentious  residence  when  compared  to  the  house  at 
Belvoir.  It  comprised  then  only  the  middle  portion  of  what  now 
constitutes  the  mansion  in  its  entirety,  but  the  broad,  beautiful  vistas 


MAJOR  LAWRENCE  WASHINGTON. 


LAViTRENCe  WASHINGTON   OF   MOUNT  VERNON.  2^ 

and  quiet,  restful  shades,  nature's  embellishments,  were  there,  and  they 
gave  an  unspeakable  charm  to  the  place. 

It  had  been  the  intention  of  young  Washington  to  return  to 
England,  join  the  British  army,  and  take  up  military  life  as  a  profes- 
sion. This  idea  he  now  abandoned,  except  in  a  local  way,  for  the  less 
hazardous  and  more  congenial  pursuits  of  civil  life.  He  soon  became 
adjutant-general  of  the  Northern  Neck  with  the  rank  and  pay  of 
major,  but  devoted  little  time  to  the  position,  giving  more  particular 
attention  to  his  extensive  farming  and  iron  industries.  Like  his  ances- 
tors, he  was  a  conservative  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  but 
firmly  beheved  in  religious  liberty  and  in  numerous  letters  and  public 
utterances  deplored  religious  persecution  and  intolerance  as  a  selfish, 
narrow-minded  policy,  inimical  to  the  progress  and  best  interest  of 
Virginia.  He  took  a  leading  part  in  local  affairs  and  was  especially 
active  in  any  movement  to  advance  the  interest  of  his  own  com- 
munity. As  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly,  he  secured  the  pas- 
sage of  a  bill  incorporating  the  city  of  Alexandria  in  1748  and,  with 
the  Right  Honorable  Thomas,  Lord  Fairfax,  the  Honorable  William 
Fairfax,  George  William  Fairfax,  Richard  Osborne,  William  Ramsay, 
John  Carlyle,  John  Pagan,  Jerard  Alexander,  Hugh  West  and  Philip 
Alexander,  became  one  of  its  first  trustees,  as  the  bill  quaintly  pro- 
vides, "for designing,  building,  carrj'ing  on  and  maintaining  said  town 
and  laying  off  its  streets  and  market  place."  Thus  he  had  helped  to 
found  and  establish  a  municipality  which  was,  in  a  few  years,  to 
contain  among  its  officials,  as  members  of  its  council,  two  of  the  most 
distinguished  statesmen  of  modem  times — George  Washington  of 
JMount  Vernon  and  George  Mason  of  Gunston.  Lawrence,  also,  in 
the  last  year  of  his  official  life  as  a  member  of  the  House  of  Burgesses, 
secured  the  passage  of  an  act  incorporating  the  town  of  Colchester, 
which  was  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Occoquan  River  near  its  con- 
fluence with  the  Potomac  and  about  eight  miles  below  Mount  Vernon. 
Some  of  the  founders  and  early  officials  of  this  old  town,  like  that  of 
Alexandria,  subsequently  became  well-known  characters  in  the  French 
and  revolutionary  wars  and  were  likewise  prominently  identified  in 
both  the  political  and  military  movements  incident  to  the  founding 
of  our  great  republic.  Peter  Wagener,  upon  whose  land  the  town  was 
located,  was  an  ensign  under  Fry  and  Washington  in  the  first  expedi- 
tion against  the  French,  taking  part  in  the  battle  of  Fort  Necessity, 
and  later  commanding  a  company  of  Virginia  riflemen  in  the  disas- 
trous battle  of  Fort  Duquesne.     It  was  Wagener's  troops  who,  during 


24  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

that  fatal  engagement  while  fighting  in  Indian  fashion  from  behind 
trees  and  rocks,  were  mistaken  for  the  enemy  and  almost  annihilated 
by  the  English  regulars — fifty  of  the  eighty  in  the  company  being 
killed  or  wounded  before  the  error  was  discovered. 

At  Colchester  was  afterwards  located  John  Ballandine's  iron 
foundry  where  many  of  the  cannon  and  cannon  balls  for  the  Revolu- 
tion were  moulded.  Daniel  Morgan,  of  heroic  fame,  commander  of 
the  famous  riflemen,  companion  of  Arnold  in  his  march  through  the 
vvildemess  from  Cambridge  to  Quebec,  the  hero  of  Cowpens  and  the 
veteran  of  a  hundred  battles,  then  a  humble  teamster,  was  hauling 
iron  ore  to  Ballandine's  furnace*  when  Braddock  came  up  over  the 
Old  King's  Highway,  in  1755,  en  route  to  Alexandria.  Morgan  sold 
his  team,  joined  the  colonial  troops,  and  began  that  thrilhng  military 
career  which  won  for  him  imperishable  fame  and  placed  the  name  of 
the  humble  wagoner  of  the  Occoquan  in  the  forefront  of  American 
history. 

George  Mason  of  Gunston  was  also  one  of  the  town's  early  trus- 
tees, as  was  William  Grayson,  who,  during  the  Revolution,  became  an 
officer  on  Washington's  staff  and  still  later  one  of  the  first  senators  from 
Virginia.  It  was  Colonel  Grayson  who  brought  to  the  commander- 
in-chief  the  first  news  of  Lee's  treason  at  Monmouth.  These  and 
several  others,  whose  names  are  now  famiUar  to  the  readers  of  our 
nation's  history,  were  among  the  directors  of  this  colonial  city  on  the 
Occoquan,  of  which  only  two  rickety  tenements  remain  to  mark  the 
place  where  once  a  thriving  business  hamlet  stood. 

LawTence  Washington's  efforts,  however,  were  not  confined  to 
local  affairs  by  any  means.  He  took  a  prominent  part  in  what  is 
known  as  the  Ohio  Company,  the  object  of  which  was  to  estabhsh 
amicable  commercial  relations  with  the  Indians  and  open  up  for 
settlement  that  vast  covmtry  south  of  the  Ohio  River  and  west  of  the 
AUeghany  Mountains. 

The  company  in  question  was  composed  of  some  of  the  ablest  and 
wealthiest  men  in  the  colony,  with  Governor  Thomas  Lee,  president  of 
the  Council,  as  its  head.  It  numbered  among  its  directors  and  stock- 
holders such  men  as  George  Mason,  William  and  George  Wm.  Fairfax, 
and  numbers  of  others  of  equal  prominence.  Its  organizers,  having 
obtained  a  grant  from  the  crown,  under  certain  favorable  conditions, 
for  five  htmdred  thousand  acres  of  land  in  the  location  referred  to,  or 
rather  one  section  of  it,  viz.,  the  portion  east  of  the  Kanawha  and 
south  of  the  Ohio,  followed  a  prearranged  plan  to  secure  the  rich  fur 

•Ballandine's  furnace  or  smelting  mill,  was  at  Occoquan,  two  miles  above  Colchester. 
His  foundry  was  at  Colchester. 


LAWRENCE   WASHINGTON   OF  MOUNT  \^RNON.  25 

txade  of  the  Ohio  Valley  and  also  to  hasten  the  development  of  the 
new  territory.  They  estabhshed  trading  posts,  or  commercial  depots, 
at  regular  intervals  of  some  fifty  or  a  hvmdred  miles,  and  so  formed  a 
chain  of  settlements  from  tidewater  on  the  Potomac  to  and  down  the 
Ohio  River,  which  constituted  a  system  of  rapid  intercourse  and 
exchange  between  the  aborigines  of  the  west  and  the  settlements  along 
the  eastern  seaboard  and  with  the  markets  of  Europe. 

To  carry  out  this  plan,  they  dispatched  that  intrepid  pioneer  and 
explorer,  Christopher  Gist  (who,  in  1753,  became  the  guide  and  com- 
panion of  George  Washington  on  his  first  mission  of  protest  from 
Governor  Dinwiddle  to  the  French  commandant,  the  Chevalier  de 
St.  Pierre,  at  Fort  DeBceuf,  near  Lake  Erie),  to  examine  the  country, 
select  suitable  locations  for  settlements,  and  make  report. 

Gist  started  on  his  journey  August  31,  1749,  following  an  old 
Indian  trail  up  the  Potomac.  He  penetrated  the  great  unknown 
forest  out  to  and  down  the  Ohio  and  Kanawha  rivers,  traversed 
portions  of  the  remote  Ohio  country,  and  returned  through  what  is 
now  Kentucky  long  before  Daniel  Boone  or  any  other  white  man  had 
ever  ventvued  into  the  wilderness  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  Moving 
in  a  great  circuit  from  the  Ohio,  he  returned  by  way  of  his  home  on 
the  Yadkin  River  in  North  Carolina  the  latter  part  of  May,  1750. 
Going  thence  to  Williamsburg,  he  at  once  reported  the  result  of  his 
journey  to  the  officials  of  the  company,  who,  pleased  with  his  descrip- 
tion of  the  country,  the  discoveries  he  had  made  and  the  negotiations 
he  had  entered  into  with  the  Indians,  immediately  prepared  to  push 
forward  the  movement  as  originally  contemplated  and,  regardless  of 
the  French  protests  and  menaces,  I\Ir.  Gist,  under  sanction  of  the 
Virginia  Legislature,  proceeded  in  the  same  year  to  survey  the  land 
along  the  Ohio  as  far  down  as  the  Kanawha. 

The  title  to  this  particular  territory  was  then  and  had  been  for 
years  a  subject  of  international  dispute  and  subsequently  brought  on 
what  is  known  in  history  as  the  French  and  Indian  War  in  1755. 

In  1673,  Padre  Marquette  and  his  companion,  Joliette,  both  sub- 
jects of  the  crown  of  France,  had  "  passed  down  the  Mississippi,  quite 
to  the  Arkansas,"  establishing,  as  they  claimed,  the  right  of  their  sov- 
ereign not  only  to  the  rivers  so  discovered  but  to  all  the  lands  drained 
by  the  tributaries  thereof,  one  of  which  was  the  Ohio.  To  this  sweep- 
ing but  flimsy  contention  the  English  advanced  a  claim  equally  absurd, 
basing  their  right  and  title  on  a  treaty  made  at  Lancaster  in  1744 
between  commissioners  from  Maryland,  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia 


26  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

and  the  Iroquois,  or  six  nations,  whereby,  for  four  hundred  pounds, 
the  latter  gave  up  all  the  land  west  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  even 
to  the  Mississippi  River. 

Now,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  such  treaty  or  pretended  transfer  of 
title  did  take  place.  The  claim,  nevertheless,  was  as  groundless  as 
that  of  the  French,  for  not  a  single  acre  of  land  in  that  section  was 
then  or  ever  had  been  the  property  of  these  tribesmen.  "Such,"  says 
Irving,  "were  the  shadowy  foundations  of  claims,  which  the  two 
nations  were  determined  to  maintain  to  the  uttermost  and  which 
ripened  into  a  series  of  wars,  ending  in  a  loss  to  England  of  a  greater 
part  of  her  American  possessions,  and  to  France  of  the  whole." 

In  the  midst  of  these  activities,  the  executiv^e  head  of  the  Ohio 
Company,  Honorable  Thomas  Lee,  died,  and  this  responsibility 
devolved  upon  the  second  in  line,  Lav^Tence  Washington. 

To  the  alarm  of  his  numerous  friends,  who  appreciated  him  for 
both  his  personal  worth  and  executive  ability,  Alajor  Washington, 
never  of  a  robust  constitution,  now  showed  symptoms  of  a  serious 
debility.  He  had  not  fully  recovered  from  the  effects  of  exposure  in 
the  Cartagena  campaign,  and  the  exacting  duties  of  his  several  situa- 
tions had  taxed  beyond  endurance  an  enfeebled  constitution.  Yielding 
to  the  advice  of  his  physicians  and  importunities  of  his  wife  and 
friends,  he  resolved,  after  other  expedients,  such  as  a  long  voyage  to 
England  and  a  sojourn  at  the  Bath  Springs  of  Virginia,  had  failed,  to 
try  the  effects  of  a  more  salubrious  climate,  and  on  September  28,1751, 
accompanied  by  his  brother,  George,  he  sailed  for  Barbadoes  and 
reached  the  island  on  the  third  day  of  November  following.  The 
experiment  of  a  few  weeks'  residence  there  also  proved  unavailing  and 
he  determined  to  try,  as  a  last  resort,  the  healing  properties  of  the 
delightful  climate  of  Bermuda,  with  the  understanding  that  George 
was  to  repair  to  Mount  Vernon  and,  returning  with  Lawrence's  wife 
and  child,  join  him  at  the  latter  place.  But  it  was  now  too  late. 
Despair  had  superseded  hope  in  the  heart  of  Lawrence.  His  disease 
had  advanced  beyond  the  power  of  human  control,  and  in  the  following 
extract  from  one  of  his  letters  we  read  utter  despondence :  "  If  I  grow 
worse,  I  shall  hurry  home  to  my  grave."  His  disease  made  such 
rapid  progress  that  he  did  not  wait  for  the  arrival  of  his  wife  and 
brother,  but,  reahzing  his  desperate  condition  and  submitting  to  the 
inevitable,  he  hurried  back  to  his  beloved  Mount  Vernon,  to  the 
bosom  of  his  grief -stricken  family  and  the  circle  of  his  friends.  There, 
on  July  26,  six  days  after  the  ninth  anniversary  of  his  marriage,  at 
the  age  of  thirty-four,  he  succumbed  to  pulmonary  trouble. 


LAWRENCE    WASHINGTON    OF    MOUNT   VERNON.  27 

Of  the  four  children  born  to  Lawrence  and  Anne  Fairfax  Wash- 
ington, three  died  almost  in  infancy,  and  Sarah,  the  only  surviving 
child,  lived  but  a  few  months  after  the  death  of  her  father. 

In  his  wiU,  dated  June  29,  1752,  admitted  to  probate  in  Fairfax 
County,  September  26,  in  the  same  year,  he  bequeathed  his  entire 
estate  to  his  infant  daughter  Sarah,  but  in  the  event  of  her  death 
without  issue,  provided  for  its  further  specific  distribution  amongst 
his  wife  and  brothers. 

To  his  brother  Augustine  he  left  all  his  stock,  interest  and  estate 
in  the  Principio,  Accokeek,  Kingsbur}'-,  Laconshire  and  No.  East  Iron 
Works  in  Virginia  and  Marj-land,  reserving  one-third  of  the  profits 
of  the  said  works  to  be  paid  to  his  wife  by  his  executors.  To  his 
brother  George  he  bequeathed,  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  all  his 
land  in  Fairfax  County  and  the  improvements  thereon  and  further 
provided  that  he  should  have  the  joint  use  of  an  equal  share  and  pro- 
portion with  his  wife  of  all  the  lands  devised  to  his  brothers,  Samuel, 
John  and  Charles.  After  making  these  specific  bequests,  he  distrib- 
uted amongst  his  brothers  and  sister  the  rest  and  residue  of  a  con- 
siderable estate,  scattered  over  several  counties  of  Virginia  and  Mary- 
land, naming  as  his  executors  the  Honorable  William  and  George 
William  Fairfax,  his  brothers  Augustine  and  George  Washington,  and 
his  friends,  Mr.  Nathaniel  Chapman  and  Alajor  John  Carlyle. 

Major  Washington  left  several  thousand  acres  of  land  in  Fairfax 
County.  He  had  materially  extended  the  limits  of  his  Mount  Vernon 
farm  and  had  purchased  other  properties  in  his  home  county.  All  of 
these  under  the  conditions  of  his  will  were  soon  to  revert  to  his  young 
brother  George,  as  his  infant  daughter  Sarah  died  within  a  year  and 
his  wife  subsequently  married  Colonel  George  Lee,  accepting  dower 
rights  in  lieu  of  life  tenure  as  her  interest  in  the  Mount  Vernon  property. 

The  relation  existing  between  Lawrence  and  his  brother  George 
was  always  of  the  warmest  nature;  indeed,  he  entertained  for  the  boy 
almost  paternal  affection.  So  solicitous  was  he  for  his  welfare  and 
such  was  his  confidence  in  the  youth's  judgment  and  integrity  of 
character  that  he  lost  no  opportunity  to  advance  the  boy's  interest 
in  either  private  or  public  life.  He  confided  to  him  his  most  exclusive 
private  affairs,  keeping  him  under  his  personal  observation  and 
tutelage  at  Mount  Vernon  whenever  possible,  and,  although  not  yet 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  made  him  one  of  his  executors  along  with 
men  of  maturer  years  and  wide  business  experience. 

It  is  significant  that  he  provides  for  him  a  home  with  his  widow 
that  he,  no  doubt,  might  have  personal  supervision  of  her  affairs. 


28  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

George  now  took  up  his  permanent  residence  at  Mount  Vernon. 
Really  it  had  been  such  for  a  number  of  years,  since  1 747.  Whenever 
his  nomadic  engagements  permitted  it,  he  would  repair  to  the  house 
of  his  brother  as  his  favorite  abode.  In  later  years,  as  the  proprietor, 
he  extended  its  limits  from  his  original  inheritance  to  more  than  eight 
thousand  acres  and  transformed  it  into  one  of  the  most  valuable  and 
productive  plantations  in  the  colony. 


LORD   THOMAS   FATRFAY 


GREENWAY  COURT  AND  THOMAS  (.SIXTH  Loklij  lAiki-AX. 


THE  VIRGINIA  FAIRFAXES 

[g'OR  OVER  fifty  years  after  the  close  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  the  northern  portion  of  Virginia  might  have 
been  appropriately  designated  as  Fairfax  land,  so 
extensive  were  the  possessions  and  so  potent  the  influ- 
ence of  these  mighty  land-barons  in  that  section  of 
the  colony.  With  this  interest  and  these  people  our 
principal  subject  is  to  be  intimately  associated  through  all  the  years 
of  his  eventful  career.  It  would  be  difficult  indeed  to  write  an  intel- 
ligent synopsis  of  the  life  of  George  Washington  without  connecting 
him  in  some  way  with  this  powerful  family.  So  closely  are  their  lives 
interwoven  and  such  was  the  influence  of  this  association  upon  his 
public  career  that  it  becomes  logically  and  essentially  a  part  of  the 
narrative,  without  which  the  story  would  be  incomplete.  Their  ances- 
tors had  intermarried  in  the  mother  country  generations  before,  and 
their  descendants  were  destined  to  do  likewise  in  the  new  land. 

In  1673  Charles  II  granted  his  favorites,  the  Earl  of  Arlington  and 
Lord  Culpeper,  once  governor  of  Virginia,  letters  patent  to  that 
extensive  domain  known  as  the  Northern  Neck,  lying  between  the 
Potomac  and  Rappahannock  rivers  and  extending  from  the  Chesa- 
peake Bay  to  the  headwaters  of  said  rivers.  Having  purchased  the 
proprietary  rights  of  Arlington  in  1683,  five  years  later  King  James 
II  confirmed  the  questionable  title.  Thus,  for  a  nominal  considera- 
tion and  by  a  single  stroke  of  his  kingly  pen,  this  discredited  monarch 
had  transferred  to  his  "crony,"  Culpeper,  five  miUion  seven  hundred 
thousand  acres  of  Virginia  land,  comprising,  in  its  vast  area,  the 
present  counties  of  Northumberland,  Lancaster,  Richmond,  West- 
moreland, King  George,  Prince  WiUiam,  Fairfax,  Loudoun,  Fauquier, 
Culpeper,  Madison,  Page,  Shenandoah,  Hardy,  Hampshire,  Morgan, 
Berkeley,  Jefiferson,  Frederick,  and  Clarke,  or  over  one-sixth  of  the 
present  commonwealth  of  Virginia  and  a  territorial  empire  within 
itself. 

On  the  death  of  Culpeper,  the  grant  descended  to  his  daughter, 
Lady  Catherine  Culpeper  Fairfax,  who,  in  turn,  bequeathed  it  to 
her  son,  the  Right  Honorable  Thomas,  Sixth  Lord  Fairfax,  Baron 

Cameron. 

29 


30  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN    AND   THE    MASON. 

In  1692,  Robert  Carter,  better  known  by  the  ironical  sobriquet  of 
"King  Carter,"  himself  a  landlord  to  the  extent  of  some  hundred 
thousand  acres,  had  been  appointed  agent  of  all  the  Fairfax  interests 
in  Virginia  and  served  in  this  capacity  no  doubt  with  satisfaction  to 
the  owners  until  1732,  when,  upon  his  death,  Benjamin  Borden  re- 
ceived and  held  for  a  short  time  the  commission  of  agent  for  the 
western  portion  of  the  grant.  Borden's  avarice  soon  aroused  sus- 
picion and  in  1734  Lord  Thomas  induced  his  first  cousin.  Colonel 
William  Fairfax,  son  of  his  father's  brother  Henry,  to  resign  a  ro)^al 
commission  and  accept  the  more  lucrative  one  of  general  superin- 
tendent of  his  lordship's  entire  interest  in  the  colony. 

Educated  in  the  best  schools  of  England,  William  Fairfax  enjoyed 
the  additional  advantage  of  practical  experience  in  public  life  to  equip 
him  for  the  arduous  duties  of  his  new  situation.  He  had  been  a 
soldier  in  Queen  Anne's  war,  chief  justice  of  the  Bahamas,  governor 
of  the  Isle  of  Providence  and  collector  of  the  port  of  Salem,  Massa- 
chusetts Bay,  acquitting  himself  throughout  with  signal  ability  and 
to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  home  government.  Returning  to 
England  in  1 7 1 7  with  his  wife  Sarah  (daughter  of  Colonel  Walker  of 
Nassau) ,  whom  he  had  married  while  in  the  Bahama  Islands,  he  appears 
to  have  temporarily  retired  from  pubhc  life  until  the  year  1725,  when 
he  received  the  important  appointment  of  collector  of  his  majesty's 
customs  at  Salem.  In  this  capacity  he  served  until  1 734,  the  date  of 
his  removal  to  Virginia. 

His  first  wife,  Sarah  Walker,  died  in  1731.  By  her  he  had  four 
children,  George  William,  Thomas,  Anne  (married  Lawrence  Wash- 
ington), and  Sarah  (married  IMajor  John  Carlyle  of  Alexandria). 
Shortly  after  the  demise  of  his  wife,  and  in  deference  to  her  death-bed 
request  or  desire,  he  married  Deborah  Clark,  widow  of  Francis  Clark 
and  daughter  of  the  Honorable  Colonel  Bartholomew  Gedney  of 
Salem.  Deborah  Clark  was  a  woman  of  exalted  character  and  extra- 
ordinary intelligence,  whose  unfeigned  piety  and  motherly  affection 
made  a  deep  and  wholesome  impression,  not  only  on  the  minds  of  her 
own  children  and  the  children  of  her  husband  by  his  first  wife,  but 
upon  the  young  George  Washington  as  well,  who  was  a  frequent  and 
welcome  visitor  at  her  house,  and  over  whom  she  seems  to  have 
exercised  a  most  salutary  influence. 

The  duties  incumbent  upon  the  new  agent  were  far  more  impor- 
tant than  the  perfunctory  and  no  doubt  disagreeable  task  of  collecting 
quit-rents  from  the  scattered  settlers.     King  James'  grant  to  Culpeper, 


THE    VIRGINIA   FAIRFAXES.  3 1 

now  the  property  of  Lord  Thomas  Fairfax,  contained  a  clause  vali- 
dating all  grants  and  purchases  within  the  confines  of  the  Culpeper 
boundary,  made  prior  to  the  confirmation  of  that  claim  by  the  crown 
in  1688.  Notwithstanding  this,  frequent  disputes  and  contests  arose 
to  adjust  which,  without  recourse  to  law,  required  consummate  skill 
and  diplomacy.  It  was  in  this  particular  line  of  duty  that  William 
Fairfax  first  demonstrated  to  the  simple  rustics  his  perfect  sense 
of  honesty  and  impartial  justice,  avoiding  as  far  as  possible  legal 
squabbles  and  in  the  most  friendly  manner  establishing  agreeable 
relations  between  landlord  and  tenant  to  the  mutual  profit  and  sat- 
isfaction of  all  concerned. 

As  a  precaution  against  further  entanglement  and  to  facilitate 
the  work  of  pacification  along  the  Fairfax  border,  it  was  determined 
shortly  after  the  arrival  of  his  lordship  in  the  colony  in  1 746  to  offi- 
cially locate  the  western  limit  of  the  Fairfax  grant.  The  year  previous 
(1745)  the  king  had  designated  a  line  from  the  head-spring  of  the 
Conway  River  (branch  of  the  Rapidan)  to  the  head-spring  of  the 
northern  branch  of  the  Potomac  River  as  the  imaginary  western 
boundar}^  and  at  the  request  of  his  lordship  appointed  three  com- 
missioners, viz..  Colonel  William  Byrd  of  Westover,  John  Robinson 
and  John  Grymes,  to  meet  a  similar  number  appointed  by  Lord 
Fairfax  to  permanently  define  by  actual  surv^ey  the  disputed  limits. 
This  commission  assembled  in  Fredericksburg  in  the  early  fall  of  1746 
and  with  Thomas  Lewis,  Robert  Brooke  and  George  William  Fairfax 
as  surveyors,  numerous  attendants  and  a  company  of  provincial 
militia  under  Captain  Joshua  Fry  (whose  death  at  Will's  Creek  in 
1754,  while  on  the  French  expedition,  gave  George  Washington  his 
first  command  when  only  twenty-two  years  of  age)  to  guard  the  expe- 
dition, started  from  Fredericksburg,  according  to  the  journal  of 
Thomas  Lewis,  one  of  the  surveyors,  on  September  iS,  1746,  and 
repaired  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Conway  River. 

It  appears  that  the  corps  subsequently  divided,  one  portion  going 
to  the  headwaters  of  the  Potomac,  where  on  the  17th  day  of  October, 
1746,  the  Potomac  faction  set  the  Fairfax  stone  inscribed  "FX," 
which  is  said  to  be  still  standing  about  three  miles  from  the  town  of 
Davis  in  Tucker  County  on  the  West  Virginia  Central  Railroad.  "It 
should  be,"  says  Moncure  D.  Conway,  in  "Barons  of  the  Potomac 
and  Rappahannock,"  "in  the  pedestal  of  Washington  Monument  in 
Washington  City,  for  Fairfaxland  was  lost  in  Washingtonland." 

The  Fredericksburg  corps  began  its  labors  from  the  upper  Conway 


32  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

on  the  1 2  th  of  October  and  the  two  sections,  running  on  converging 
Hnes,  completed  their  work  on  December  14  (Colonel  WiUiam  Byrd's 
Journal).  Thus  was  positively  established  the  western  boundary  of 
the  Fairfax  grant,  but  the  litigation  over  disputed  claims  along  this 
line  continued  for  years,  even  after  all  the  original  litigants  had  been 
called  from  the  transitory  scenes  of  this  world's  affairs. 

On  arriving  in  Virginia,  Colonel  Fairfax  resided  for  a  short  while 
in  Westmoreland  County  and  there  no  doubt  first  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  the  Washington  family.  About  1734,  he  moved  to  the  upper 
Potomac  and  erected  a  spacious  mansion  on  an  elevated  plain  over- 
looking and  commanding  a  fine  prospect  of  the  broad  and  beautiful 
Potomac  River,  about  three  miles  below  the  present  Mount  Vernon 
house  and  separated  from  that  farm  by  Epsewasson  or  Dogue  Creek. 
Around  this  old  homestead,  which  he  named  "Belvoir"  (beautiful  to 
see)  in  honor  of  his  ancestral  manor  in  England,  and  of  which  not  even 
a  picture  remains,  gather  some  of  the  most  interesting  events  of  an 
intensely  interesting  and  historic  epoch.  In  it  Lawrence  Washington, 
the  eldest  half-brother  of  George,  was  married  to  Anne,  daughter  of 
Colonel  William  Fairfax,  July  19,  1743.  To  it  came  Lord  Thomas, 
owner  of  the  grant  in  1739,  on  his  first  visit  to  Virginia  and  again  in 
1746,  when,  after  disposing  of  his  English  estates,  he  returned  to  take 
up  his  permanent  residence  in  the  colony.  Here  he  lived  for  a  number 
of  years  enjoying  the  social  intercourse  of  fashionable  Belvoir  and 
participating  with  relish  in  the  rural  pastimes  of  the  local  gentry. 
Here,  also,  his  lordship  made  the  acquaintance  and  formed  a  friend- 
ship for  the  boy  surveyor,  who  from  the  very  first  seems  to  have 
strangely  and  irresistibly  appealed  to  the  peculiar  nobleman.  But 
by  far  the  most  important  incident  connected  with  the  famous  old 
homestead  was  the  departure  from  its  hospitable  confines,  in  1748, 
of  the  youthful  George  Washington  on  his  initial  trip  to  the  Valley  of 
Virginia  to  begin  his  career  as  a  surveyor  in  the  employ  of  the  eccen- 
tric but  cultured  baron.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  pubUc  life 
of  the  world's  greatest  hero,  humanity's  great  champion. 

For  forty  years  Belvoir  was  the  seat  of  one  of  the  most  refined 
and  distinguished  families  in  the  northern  section  of  Virginia,  and  was 
noted  for  its  princely  hospitality.  A  man  of  ample  means,  genial  dis- 
position and  unquestionable  ability.  Colonel  William  Fairfax  soon 
became  an  active  and  prominent  factor  in  the  political  affairs  of  the 
province  and,  as  member  and  afterwards  president  of  the  Colonial 
Council,  occupied  a  position  of  influence  and  importance  second  only 


THE   VIRGINIA   FAIRFAXES.  33 

to  the  governor.  He  was,  also,  from  the  very  beginning  of  his  resi- 
dence on  the  upper  Potomac,  a  vestryman  or  warden  in  Truro  Parish, 
and  continued  as  such,  taking  an  active  part  in  local  church  work, 
until  the  day  of  his  death. 

His  son,  George  William,  who  was  the  only  companion  of  young 
Washington  on  his  first  trip  to  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  also  became 
prominent  in  very  early  life,  succeeding  his  father  in  after  years  in 
several  important  pubhc  positions.  He  maintained,  by  strict  and 
conscientious  attention  to  business,  the  honorable  reputation  of  his 
parent  for  faithful  public  service.  The  old  register  of  Pohick  Church 
shows  that,  succeeding  his  father,  he  served  as  a  vestryman  of  Truro 
Parish  from  1758  to  his  departure  for  England  in  1773.  While  a 
member  of  the  House  of  Burgesses  and  at  the  age  of  only  twenty-four, 
he  married  Miss  Sally  Cary,  daughter  of  Wilson  Cary  of  Celes,  a  cele- 
brated belle  of  Williamsburg  and  an  heiress  in  her  own  right.  She 
became,  as  most  people  did  who  knew  him  well,  an  admirer  of  the 
manly  qualities  and  unusual  attainments  of  the  young  sur\'eyor  with 
whom  she  was  now,  as  a  resident  of  Belvoir,  frequently  thrown  in 
company,  and  had  ample  opportunity  to  observe  the  intrinsic  worth  of 
his  character.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Lawrence  Washington  was 
also  a  member  of  the  House  of  Burgesses  during  this  period.  Thus  we 
have,  from  the  same  community  and  virtually  from  the  same  family, 
three  representatives  in  the  Colonial  Council. 

General  Washington,  even  in  his  declining  years,  cherished  the 
fondest  recollections  of  the  Fairfax  home  and  wrote  to  IMrs.  George 
William  Fairfax,  in  England: 

It  is  a  matter  of  sore  regret,  when  I  cast  my  eyes  towards  Belvoir,  which  I 
often  do,  to  reflect  that  the  former  inhabitants  of  it,  with  whom  we  lived  in  such 
harmony  and  friendship,  no  longer  reside  there,  and  that  the  ruins  can  only  be 
viewed  as  the  mementoes  of  former  pleasures. 

But  as  time  heals,  so  does  it  destroy,  and  Belvoir  house  with  its 
wide  verandas  and  airy  halls  has  gone  with  the  happy  throngs  that 
gathered  round  its  hearthstone  in  the  long  ago.  Fire  practically  con- 
sumed the  house  in  the  early  part  of  the  Revolution,  and  British 
battleships,  in  the  War  of  181 2,  completed  the  destruction  and  leveled 
its  crumbling  walls.  Scarcely  a  brick  remains  to  show  where  this 
palatial  homestead  stood,  and  only  the  half  filled  excavations,  now 
covered  with  tangled  Virginia  creeper  and  interlacing  bramble  vines, 
mark  the  place  where  once  the  height  of  fashion  reigned.     It  is  a  sad 


34  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   TPIE    MASON. 

commentary  that  the  good  and  pious  mother,  Deborah,  and  her  dis- 
tinguished and  benevolent  husband,  Colonel  William  Fairfax,  father- 
in-law  of  Lawrence  Washington  and  friend  and  preceptor  of  the' 
youthful  George,  rest  forgotten  in  unmarked  graves,  on  the  edge 
of  a  lonely  forest,  close  by  the  abandoned  and  neglected  site  of  their 
stately  home,  which  for  years  was  the  center  of  an  opulent  and  culture  i 
association.  Mrs.  Deborah  Fairfax  died  in  1747,  beloved  by  all  who 
knew  her,  and  ten  years  later  Colonel  William,  advanced  in  years  and 
crowTied  with  merited  honors,  also  passed  away. 

By  his  second  wife,  William  Fairfax  left  three  children,  Bryan, 
who  became  rector  of  Christ  Church  in  Alexandria,  Virginia,  and  the 
eighth  lord  of  the  line,  who  died  at  Mount  Eagle,  Fairfax  County, 
Virginia,  in  1802;  William  Henry,  a  soldier  killed  at  Quebec  in  1759; 
and  Hannah,  who  married  Warner  Washington,  first  cousin  of  the 
General. 

Just  before  the  Revolutionary  War,  George  William  Fairfax,  who 
had  inherited  from  his  father  the  family  homestead  (which  had  for- 
merly been  given  to  Colonel  William  by  Lord  Thomas),  accompanied 
by  his  wife,  visited  England  with  the  full  intention  of  returning,  but 
circumstances  prevented  the  consummation  of  this  desire.  On  their 
way  to  the  mother  country  they  met  the  vessels  bearing  hither  the 
"ill-fated  tea,"  which  was  to  arouse  the  colonies  to  bitter  resentment 
and  eventually  lead  to  armed  resistance.  They  finally  settled  in  the 
city  of  Bath,  where  both  subsequently  died  and  were  buried,  he  in 
1787  and  she  in  1811. 

On  the  departure  of  George  Wm.  Fairfax  and  his  wife  for  England, 
General  (then  colonel)  Washington  became  the  agent  for  his  American 
estate,  but  later,  as  the  difficulties  with  the  mother  country  increased 
and  matters  of  great  public  moment  demanded  his  attention,  he 
resigned  the  commission,  giving  as  his  reason  lack  of  time  to  devote 
proper  attention  to  its  care. 

In  August,  1774,  by  order  of  the  owner.  Colonel  Washington  dis- 
posed of  the  contents  of  Belvoir  house  at  public  auction,  and  judging 
from  an  inventory  of  the  sale,  which  is  still  in  existence,  it  must  have 
been  luxuriously  and  elegantly  fitted.  The  purchases  made  by  Wash- 
ington alone  amounted  to  nearly  two  hundred  pounds  sterling  and 
comprised  in  after  years  some  of  the  most  valuable  furniture  of  Mount 
Vernon  house,  several  pieces  of  which  have  been  restored  by  the 
ladies  of  The  Mount  Vernon  Association  to  their  former  place  in  the 
mansion. 


the;   VIRGINIA   FAIRFAXES.  35 

After  leaving  the  Williams  School  at  Wakefield  in  Westmoreland 
C'anty  in  1747,  George  Washington  spent  most  of  his  time  at  Mount 
Vernon  and  Belvoir,  pursuing  his  course  in  surveying  under  his  brother 
Lawrence  and  George  Wm.  Fairfax,  who  were  both  of  that  profession, 
until  he  entered  the  active  service  of  Lord  Thomas  in  the  Valley  of 
\  irginia.  It  is  during  this  short  period  that  numerous  writers  have 
tried  to  make  the  staid  and  serious  youth  the  hero  or  victim  of 
several  mysterious  love  affairs. 

Such  narratives  constitute  very  pretty  romances  and  are  undoubt- 
edly entertaining  to  those  of  sentimental  incHnations,  but  to  the 
mature  and  observant  mind  most  of  them  appear,  under  investigation, 
far  from  plausible  and  contain  many  elements  of  reasonable  doubt. 
Let  us  dwell  for  a  moment  on  this  tender  but  always  attractive  subject 
and  draw  our  conclusions  from  the  evidence  at  hand.  He  was  said  to 
be  a  devoted  admirer  of  Sally  Fairfax.  Now  there  were  at  least  three 
Sally  Fairfaxes.  First,  there  was  the  beautiful  wife  of  young  George 
William,  who,  as  Sally  Gary,  had  married  his  (Washington's)  friend  in 
1748,  when  the  boy  George  was  only  sixteen  years  of  age.  A.s  this 
young  lady's  home  was  over  a  hundred  miles  from  Mount  Vernon  and 
his  school  days  were  just  drawing  to  a  close,  he  evidently  did  not  make 
Mrs.  Fairfax's  acquaintance  until  she  came  to  live  with  her  husband 
at  Belvoir  in  the  spring  of  1749.  The  next  was  Colonel  William's 
second  daughter  (Sarah),  who  married  Major  John  Carlyle,  of  Alex- 
andria, while  the  boy  Washington  was  still  at  school  in  the  lowlands 
of  Westmoreland  County,  and  with  whom  he  probably  had  only  a 
limited  acquaintance  until  after  she  became  Mrs.  Carlyle.  The  next 
Sally  was  the  daughter  of  Brj^an,  eldest  son  of  Deborah  Clark  and 
William  Fairfax.  Bryan,  himself,  was  not  bom  until  1737  and  con- 
sequently was  only  twenty-two  years  of  age  when  Colonel  Washington 
married  the  widow  Custis. 

His  name  was  also  connected  with  Miss  Mary  Gary,  the  sister 
of  George  William  Fairfax's  wife.  In  a  letter  to  his  friend,  Robin,  he 
refers  to  this  young  lady  as  follows : 

My  residence  is  at  present  at  His  Lordship's  (Belvoir),  where  I  might,  was  my 
heart  disengaged,  pass  my  time  very  pleasantly,  as  there's  a  very  agreeable  yoxmg 
lady  (Miss  Molly  Carj^)  lives  in  the  same  house;  but  as  that's  only  adding  fuel  to 
fire,  it  makes  me  more  imeasy,  for  by  often  and  unavoidably  being  in  company  with 
her,  revives  my  former  passion  for  your  Lowland  Beauty;  whereas  was  I  to  live  more 
retired  from  young  women,  I  might  in  some  measure  alleviate  my  sorrows,  by 
burying  that  chaste  and  troublesome  passion  in  the  grave  of  oblivion. 


36  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

This  letter  speaks  of  Miss  Cary  as  an  interesting  young  lady  only. 
It  does  not  carry  with  it  a  conviction  of  very  deep  affection,  and,  as  he 
commits  himself  in  no  uncertain  measure  to  the  "Lowland  Beauty," 
we  are  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  another  is  the  object  of  his 
juvenile  affection.  Miss  Cary  afterwards  married  Mr.  Edward 
Ambler  and  from  all  accounts  enjoyed  a  long  and  happy  married  life. 

Miss  Lucy  Grymes,  who  subsequently  married  Henry  Lee  and 
became  the  mother  of  the  celebrated  Light  Horse  Harry  Lee  of  revo- 
lutionary fame,  was  almost  positively  identified  as  the  famous  "Low- 
land Beauty."  This,  too,  seems  to  have  been  mere  conjecture,  as  the 
mysterious  lady  of  Washington's  romance  has  at  last  been  satisfac- 
torily identified  in  the  discovery,  by  General  Fitzhugh  Lee,  a  great- 
grandson  of  Lucy  Grymes,  of  a  letter  from  the  boy  Washington  to 
WiUiam  Fauntleroy,  Sr.,  of  which  the  following  is  a  verbatim  copy: 

May  20,  1752. 
To  Wm.  Fauntleroy,  Sr. 

Sir  :  I  should  have  been  down  long  before  this,  but  my  business  in  Frederick 
detained  me  somewhat  longer  than  I  expected  and  immediately  upon  my  return 
from  thence  I  was  taken  with  a  violent  pleurice  which  has  reduced  me  very  low ;  but 
purpose  as  soon  as  I  recover  my  strength  to  wait  on  Miss  Betsy  in  hopes  of  a  revo- 
cation of  the  former  cruel  sentence,  and  see  if  I  can  meet  with  any  alteration  in  my 
favor.  I  have  enclosed  a  letter  to  her,  which  should  be  much  obliged  to  you  for 
the  delivery  of  it.  I  have  nothing  to  add  but  my  best  respts  to  your  good  lady 
and  family. 

Geo.  Washington. 

Betsy  Fauntleroy  was  a  veritable  "Lowland  Beauty,"  residing  at 
Naylor's  Hold,  on  the  Rappahannock,  about  fifteen  miles  from  Wake- 
field. She  was  the  only  daughter  of  William  Fauntleroy  and  was 
bom  June  26,  1736.  As  the  letter  of  George  Washington  was  written 
just  after  his  return  from  the  Barbadoes,  March  4,  1752,  and  speaks 
of  not  having  been  able  to  visit  the  Fauntleroys  on  account  of  illness, 
he  must  have  received  his  "cruel  sentence"  from  Miss  Betsy  before 
the  voyage  (September,  1751),  which  would  make  him  nineteen  years 
of  age  and  the  young  lady  sixteen.  There  can  be  little  doubt,  then, 
since  the  discovery  of  this  letter,  of  the  identity  of  the  famous  "  Low- 
land Beauty,"  around  whom  has  gathered  the  most  impenetrable 
mystery  and  the  deepest  sentimental  interest  for  more  than  a  century 
and  a  half.  That  he  survived  this  incipient,  boyish  passion  and  lived 
happily  with  his  futm-e  wife  for  nearly  half  a  centtuy,  constantly 
writing  and  speaking  of  her  in  the  most  endearing  terms,  is  convincing 


THS   VIRGINIA   FAIRFAXES.  37 

proof  that  many  of  the  stories  woven  around  the  precocious  hero's 
youth  were  flights  of  fancy  and  ridiculous  exaggerations. 

Such  stories  of  the  youthful  George  bring  to  mind  another  one  of 
similar  nature.  It  would  appear  that  Lord  Fairfax  also  had  an  affair 
of  the  heart,  and  some  have  gone  so  far  as  to  declare  that  this  affliction 
drove  his  lordship  to  the  wilds  of  America  and  forced  him  into  perma- 
nent seclusion.  If  such  was  the  case,  he  must  indeed  have  been  a  very 
constant  and  loyal  lover.  According  to  the  authorities,  the  incident 
occurred  when  the  baron  was  only  twenty-five  years  old  and,  as  he 
had  reached  the  age  of  fifty-seven  when  he  landed  in  Virginia,  we  can 
only  suggest  that  such  fidelity  would  be  unusual  in  this  epoch  of  the 
divorce  court. 

The  Washingtons,  notwithstanding  their  prominence  and  distin- 
guished lineage,  were  noted  for  their  plain,  unostentatious  manner  and 
natural  simplicity,  which  are  striking  characteristics  of  the  family 
to-day.  It  is  more  than  probable  that  these  commendable  traits  had 
something  to  do  with  winning  the  friendship  of  the  cultured  Baron  of 
Cameron,  who  was  as  free  from  affectation  and  foolish  pride  as  the 
most  humble  tenant  on  his  vast  estate.  Intermarriage  in  England 
had  united  these  families  centuries  before,  and  it  may  be  assumed  that 
the  American  branches  were  familiar  with  this  early  association. 

There  is  a  curious  episode  in  the  history  of  their  ancestors  which 
bears  a  striking  contrast  to  the  future  course  and  conduct  of  the  Amer- 
ican line.  In  1646,  the  city  of  Worcester,  England,  was  besieged  by 
Cromwell's  forces  under  General  Sir  Thomas  Fairfax  and  defended 
by  its  governor,  Colonel  Henry  Washington  (collateral  ancestors  of 
our  subject),  and  not  until  an  order  from  the  captive  king,  as  the 
following  letter  indicates,  would  this  loyal  Washington  surrender : 

To  General,  Fairfax. 

Sir:  It  is  acknowledged  by  your  books,  and  by  report  of  your  own  quarter,  that 
the  King  is  in  some  of  your  armies.  That  granted,  it  may  be  easy  for  you  to  procure 
His  Majesty's  commands  for  the  disposal  of  this  garrison.  Till  then  I  shall  make 
good  the  trust  reposed  in  me.  As  for  conditions,  if  I  shall  be  necessitated  I  shall 
make  the  best  I  can.  The  worst  I  know  and  fear  not ;  if  I  had,  the  profession  of  a 
soldier  had  not  been  begun  nor  so  long  continued  by  your  Excellency's  humble 
serv^ant, 

Henry  Washington. 

In  the  year  General  Fairfax  joined  Cromwell,  the  Reverend 
Lawrence  Washington  was  evicted  from  his  home  at  Sulgrave,  his 
family  pauperized  for  loyalty  to  the  crown,  and  his  two  sons,  Colonel 


38  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN    AND    THE    MASON. 

John  and  Lawrence,  driven  to  repair  their  broken  fortunes  in  the  far- 
away colony  of  Virginia.  A  descendant  and  namesake  of  the  evicted 
Lawrence  had  married  a  Fairfax  and  ere  long  a  Washington  was  to 
besiege  and  conquer  a  royal  army  at  Yorktown,  while  a  proud  scion 
of  the  House  of  Fairfax  would  die  a  recluse,  broken-hearted,  isolated 
in  an  American  forest,  lamenting  the  fall  of  kingly  power. 

Lord  Fairfax  moved  from  Belvoir  to  the  Valley  of  Virginia  m  the 
latter  part  of  1748  or  early  in  1749,  locating  at  a  place  about  twelve 
miles  from  the  present  city  of  Winchester,  which  he  at  first  called  "  his 
quarters"  and  to  which  he  afterwards  gave  the  name  of  "Greenway 
Court."  Here  he  laid  out  a  manor  containing  ten  thousand  acres  of 
arable  grazing  land,  vast  meadows  and  noble  forests,  and  projected  a 
spacious  manor  house.  The  proposed  manorial  building  was  never 
even  started,  but,  instead,  the  rambling  one  and  a  half  story  dwelling 
(shown  in  the  illustration)  was  erected  on  the  site  originally  selected 
for  the  mansion,  and  in  this  his  lordship  resided  for  about  thirty-four 
years,  extending  a  liberal  hospitality  and  taking  an  active  part  in  the 
development  of  that  section  of  the  province,  which  in  the  early  days  of 
his  residence  was  literally  an  outpost  of  civilization. 

On  the  lawn  adjacent  to  his  residence  he  erected  a  small  one-story 
office  building  and  in  this  diminutive  structure  deeds  were  drawn  and 
quit-rents  collected;  in  it,  also,  the  boy  Washington  prepared  many 
of  the  now  famous  plats  of  his  surveys  and  subdivisions,  during  his 
several  years'  sojourn  with  the  baron.  This  little  house  is  still  stand- 
ing and  the  picture  shows  it  as  it  is  to-day. 

The  youthful  Washington  no  doubt  derived  incalculable  benefits 
from  his  isolated  association  with  the  cultured  proprietor,  to  whose 
ample  library  he  had  unlimited  access.  The  boy  was  an  omnivorous 
reader  and  we  can  be  reasonably  certain  that  he  lost  no  opportunity 
to  satisfy  his  hungry  mind  and  take  advantage  of  the  rare  volumes  of 
Greenway  Court.  Here,  too,  both  the  young  surveyor  and  his  lordly 
patron  were  afforded  ample  opportunity  to  indulge  their  fondness  for 
agreeable  field  sports,  such  as  fox  and  deer  hunting,  as  adjacent  to  the 
residence,  we  are  creditably  informed  by  contemporary  chronicles,  his 
lordship  kept  a  well-stocked  kennel,  stables  for  saddle  horses  and 
hunters,  and  numerous  quarters  for  a  large  retinue  of  servants.  Doubt- 
less the  pleasure  of  the  chase  and  the  hours  of  enjoyment  derived  from 
the  extensive  library  broke  the  tedium  and  monotony  of  business 
engagements  and  added  spice  and  variety  to  his  sequestered  life  and 
voluntary  exile  in  the  wilderness. 


< 


X 

o 
3 

z 

< 

m 

3 
a 

o 

K 
W 


THE    VIRGINIA   FAIRFAXES.  39 

The  baron,  in  after  years,  became  principal  justice  of  Frederick 
County  and  presided  at  the  Winchester  provincial  court,  and  in  the 
French  and  Indian  War  he  led  the  troops  of  his  county  to  the  aid  of 
Washington,  then  commander-in-chief  of  the  colonial  army  in  Virginia. 

The  Fairfaxes  took  no  part  in  the  Revolution  but  were  conserva- 
tive Royahsts  to  the  end.  It  is  said  that  Colonel  Washington  was 
dining  with  his  lordship  at  Greenway  Court  when  he  received  the 
news  of  the  battle  of  Lexington,  which  proved  a  severe  shock  to  the 
aged  nobleman,  and  tradition  informs  us  that  in  1781,  when  apprised 
of  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis,  so  great  was  his  grief  and  disappoint- 
ment that  he  exclaimed  to  his  body-servant,  "Come,  Joe;  carry  me 
to  my  bed-;  it  is  high  time  for  me  to  die." 

Greenway  Court,  where  Lord  Fairfax  passed  so  many  of  the 
closing  years  of  his  life,  has  also  disappeared,  and  only  the  scattered 
fragments  of  its  foundation  can  now  be  seen. 

The  baron  devised  the  ten  thousand  acres  of  land  attached  to  the 
dwelling  to  his  nephew.  Colonel  Bryan  Martin,  who  subdivided  it 
amongst  his  numerous  heirs.  They,  in  turn,  made  further  divisions 
and  distributions  of  the  once  princely  manor,  until  now  it  constitutes 
innumerable  highly  cultivated  plantations. 

The  venerable  lord  died  in  1782,  in  his  ninety-second  year,  and, 
according  to  T.  K.  Cartnell,  in  his  splendid  history  entitled  "Shenan- 
doah Valley  Pioneers  and  Their  Descendants,"  "his  remains  were 
placed  in  the  Episcopal  Church-yard  on  Loudoun  Street  (Winchester), 
now  the  site  of  the  business  block  on  the  east  side  of  the  street,  north 
of  the  comer  of  Water  and  Loudoun  Streets.  When  Christ  (Episcopal) 
Church  was  erected  on  the  corner  of  Water  and  Washington  Streets, 
his  remains  were  removed  and  buried  beneath  the  chancel  of  that 
church." 

Who  can  say  that  his  life  was  not  well  spent?  He  had  left  the 
social  whirl  of  aristocratic  England  and  aU  its  allurements  and  attrac- 
tions to  assist  in  the  onward  march  of  Anglo-Saxon  civilization,  and 
it  is  fitting  that  the  dreamless  dust  of  the  Right  Honorable  Thomas, 
Lord  Fairfax  of  Leeds  Castle,  England,  Baron  Cameron  in  Scotland, 
of  Greenway  Court  in  Virginia  and  proprietor  of  the  Northern  Neck 
of  that  colony,  should  rest  in  peace  in  the  sanctuary  of  God  which  he 
had  founded. 

So  ends  our  brief  review  of  the  Fairfaxes  in  Virginia.  They  had 
lived  to  see  their  humble  friend  and  employee  rise  from  obscurity  to 
the  highest  pinnacle  of  military  power,  and  some  of  them  survived  to 


40  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

see  him  walk  still  higher  along  the  paths  of  fame.  In  after  years  their 
descendants  enjoyed  the  benefits  of  his  great  life  work  and  bravely 
defended  the  interests  and  the  honor  of  the  mighty  republic  he  had 
helped  to  establish.  Stranger  than  fiction,  it  came  to  pass  in  the 
course  of  time  that  this  boy  surveyor,  when  of  superlative  influence 
but  still  loyal  to  the  friends  of  his  youth,  preserved  from  confiscation 
by  colonial  authority  the  remnant  of  the  broken  fortunes  of  the 
Virginia  Fairfaxes,  of  which  we  are  creditably  informed  not  one  acre 
is  now  owned  by  a  lineal  descendant  bearing  the  name. 

We  have  referred  to  the  neglected  graves  of  Mrs.  Deborah  and 
Sir  William  Fairfax  in  the  lonely  forest  of  Belvoir,  close  by  Mount 
Vernon,  and  it  is  a  singular  and  sad  coincidence  that  the  remains  of 
their  son,  Bryan,  the  Eighth  Lord  of  the  line,  an  eminent  divine  and 
the  last  of  these  noblemen  in  America,  now  rests  in  a  tranquil  but 
somewhat  unfrequented  valley  not  far  from  the  quaint  old  city  of 
Alexandria.  His  grave,  marked  by  a  simple  shaft,  is  almost  within 
sight  of  the  electric  railroad,  which  year  after  year  transports  venerat- 
ing thousands  to  the  tomb  of  him  who  enjoyed  the  early  friendship  and 
was  the  object  of  the  unselfish  benefactions  of  this  distinguished 
family.     Such  is  the  hand  of  fate. 


WASHINGTON  THE  SURVEYOR 

'mM^  'np'HE  Virginia  red  man  of  the  early  colonial  times,  like  his 
^^   ^         cultivated  pale-faced  brother  of  to-day,  was  a  migra- 


tory creature.  As  the  sultry  suns  of  spring  and 
summer  came  and  the  wild  game  took  its  annual 
flight  from  the  southern  feeding  grounds  to  more  con- 
genial climates,  the  wily  Indian  also  wandered  away 
from  the  lowlands  of  the  tidewater  section,  from  the  marshes  and 
swampy  confluents  of  the  James,  the  York,  the  Rappahannock  and 
Potomac  rivers  and,  pursuing  the  ancient  and  well-beaten  trail  his 
ancestors  had  followed  for  centuries  past,  leisurely  wended  his  way  to 
the  high  and  healthy  hills  of  the  Piedmont  section.  Beginning  on  the 
Chesapeake  Bay,  between  the  York  and  the  James  rivers,  this  path 
of  the  aborigines  led  up  the  backbone  of  the  peninsula  through  the 
present  city  of  Williamsburg,  to  New  Kent  Court  House.  From  there 
by  way  of  Bowling  Green  in  Caroline  County,  Fredericksburg  in 
Spotsylvania,  Stafford  Court  House  in  Stafford,  and  through  the  old 
Scotch  town  of  Dumfries  in  Prince  William,  it  led  to  the  crossing  at 
the  falls  of  the  Occoquan.  Then  bending  slightly  to  the  east,  it 
wound  in  a  serpentine  route  by  Washington's  old  mill  close  to  Mount 
Vernon,  through  the  fording  at  Cameron  Run  and  down  into  the 
village  of  Bellehaven,  now  Alexandria. 

From  this  hamlet  the  Indians  had  two  separate  and  distinct  trails 
to  the  mountains  and  hunting  grounds  beyond,  var>'ing  in  their  course 
from  one  to  twelve  miles  apart.  The  most  northerly  of  these  paths 
followed  to  some  extent  the  meanderings  of  the  Potomac  River  and 
is  now  known  as  the  Middleburg  turnpike.  The  other,  taking  a 
westerly  course,  led  out  across  Fairfax  County  about  two  miles  south 
of  the  present  court  house,  by  the  httle  village  of  Aldie  in  the  BuU 
Run  hills  and,  passing  through  Snickers  Gap  in  the  Blue  Ridge, 
crossed  the  Shenandoah  River  at  Castleman's  Ferry-  in  Clarke  County. 
This  branch  is  now  known  as  Braddock's  Road,  and  was  the  most 
popular  trail  of  the  red  man  in  his  annual  pilgrimage  to  and  from 
his  shaded  haunts  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  where,  no  doubt,  during 
the  summer  months,  he  enjoyed  savage  life,  gratifying  his  primitive 
tastes  and  indulging  every  diversion  of  his  simple  race.     Roaming 

41 


42  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND   THE   MASON. 

unmolested  through  the  virgin  forest  and  drinking  its  health-giving 
waters,  he  lingered  until  the  return  of  autumn's  frosts  and  the  coming 
of  the  geese  and  ducks  called  him  back  over  the  same  old  trail,  by 
easy  stages,  to  the  wigwams  .and  bountiful  hunting  grounds  of  his 
beloved  Chickahominy. 

This  was  the  Indian  life,  the  life  of  the  nomad  of  the  forest,  not 
far  removed  from  the  migratory  habits  of  cultured  America  of  to-day. 
From  the  shadowy  trail  of  the  brown  skinned  child  of  nature  developed 
the  bridle  path  of  the  pioneer  and  later  the  public  thoroughfare  of  the 
sturdy  colonists,  known  as  the  King's  Highway,  which  was  further 
improved  and  transformed  by  the  skill  of  the  engineer  into  a  historic 
military  thoroughfare,  over  which  mighty  armies  were  transported  and 
around  which  great  battles  were  fought.  By  this  route  the  immigrant 
John  Washington  led  Nathaniel  Bacon's  men  in  pursuit  of  the  preda- 
tory savage  in  1675 ;  over  it  George  Washington  passed  on  his  mission 
from  Dinwiddie  to  the  French  commandant  in  1753  and  again  with 
his  provincials,  en  route  for  the  Great  Meadows;  over  it  Braddock 
journeyed  with  Governor  Dinwiddie  and  his  richly  caparisoned  sol- 
diery in  1755,  and  over  it,  still  later,  McClellan,  Hooker,  Burnside, 
McDowell  and  Pope,  with  Lee,  Longstreet,  Jackson  and  Stuart, 
hurried  their  countless  legions  to  and  fro.  It  led  through  the  battle- 
fields of  the  peninsula,  of  Fredericksburg,  of  Hanover  and  Caroline 
counties,  and  on  by  that  of  Bull  Run  and  traversed  the  entire  country 
where  the  intrepid  Stonewall  Jackson  achieved  his  greatest  fame  in 
the  beautiful  and  historic  Valley  of  Virginia.  It  is  an  immortal  road, 
the  Appian  Way  of  the  western  empire,  and  should  be  marked  by  the 
nation  to  commemorate  some  of  the  greatest  epochs  and  events  in 
its  history. 

On  Friday  morning,  March  1 1 ,  1 748,  two  young  surveyors,  George 
William  Fairfax  and  George  Washington,  bade  adieu  to  their  friends 
and  relatives  at  Bel  voir  house  (see  map,  page  90),  the  Fairfax  home- 
stead on  the  Potomac  River  (three  miles  below  Mount  Vernon),  rode 
through  its  west  gate  and,  turning  sharply  to  the  north,  took  this 
Indian  trail  which,  converted  into  a  public  road,  was  then  called  the 
King's  Highway.  Passing  by  Augustine  Washington's  mill,  close 
by  Mount  Vernon  house,  they  almost  paralleled  the  line  of  the  present 
Washington- Virginia  electric  railroad  to  Alexandria.  Crossing  Great 
Hunting  Creek  at  Cameron  Ford,  they  halted  for  a  moment  at  the 
village  of  Bellehaven,  then,  turning  to  the  west,  quickly  passed  the 
settled  community  of  Fairfax  County,  out  into  the  border  country. 


^-^^ 


LA\\.\    AT   GKHK.\\\AY4CUURT. 


\VAbllI.\(./lu.\  .T  (Ji-l'Jl  )^   Al    WREKNWAY  COURT. 


WASHINGTON  THE   SURVEYOR.  43 

and  after  riding  forty  miles  stopped  at  the  wayside  inn  of  Squire 
Neville,  a  cousin  of  the  Fairfaxes  and  well  known  to  both  the  travelers. 
Neville  had,  some  twenty  years  before,  come  up  out  of  the  lower 
country  and  established  his  isolated  hostelry  (which  is  still  standing) 
not  far  from  the  present  village  of  Aldie  in  Loudoun  County. 

Our  young  surveyors  spent  but  one  night  with  their  frontier  host 
and  on  the  following  morning  resumed  their  journey  across  the  Blue 
Ridge  range  of  mountains  at  Ashby's  Gap.  Swimming  the  Shenan- 
doah River,  they  entered  the  charming  Valley  of  Virginia  at  one  of  its 
most  beautiful  and  picturesque  points — bounded  on  one  side  by  the 
Blue  Ridge  range  and  on  the  other  by  the  North  Mountain,  a  spur  of 
the  Alleghanies,  with  a  width  of  about  twenty-five  miles  between 
the  two.  The  undulating  landscape,  abounding  in  clear,  copious 
streams  and  virgin  forests,  must  have  been  an  inspiring  sight  to  these 
adventurous  spirits  buoyant  with  youthful  enthusiasm  and  promising 
prospects.  Pressing  on  their  way,  they  found  rest  again  at  nightfall 
under  the  roof  of  Captain  Ashby's  home,  a  short  way  above  Burwell's 
Island  at  the  great  bend  of  the  Shenandoah  River,  and  on  Sunday, 
March  13,  rode  four  miles  farther  up  the  valley  to  Lord  Fairfax's 
quarters,  afterwards  known  as  Greenway  Court.  Here  they  found  a 
generous  welcome  and  here  Washington  was  to  make  his  home  for 
several  years  to  come,  roughing  it  in  the  wilderness  but  gaining  an 
experience  from  his  contact  with  the  wild  men  of  the  forest  and  his 
familiarity  with  the  topography  of  the  country  that,  in  a  few  years, 
would  make  him  the  invaluable  defender  of  this  exposed  and  unpro- 
tected frontier. 

On  this  trip  Washington  was  only  an  assistant  to  young  Fairfax, 
who,  though  a  comrade  in  every  sense,  was  seven  years  his  senior  and 
a  young  man  of  excellent  education,  trained  in  England  for  the  pro- 
fession in  which  he  was  then  engaged. 

Their  expedition  was  of  short  duration  and  in  one  of  the  most 
inclement  and  changeable  months  of  the  year,  but  Washington's  well 
kept  diary  shows  that  not  a  day  was  lost  and  that,  under  the  most 
trying  conditions  and  circumstances,  he  and  his  companion  pursued 
their  vocation,  regardless  of  numerous  and  sometimes  almost  insuper- 
able obstacles.  "  I  have  not  slept,"  writes  he  in  a  letter  to  a  friend, 
"  above  three  or  four  nights  in  a  bed  but,  after  walking  a  good  deal  all 
the  day,  I  have  lain  down  before  the  fire,  upon  a  little  straw  or  fodder 
or  a  bear  skin,  whichever  was  to  be  had,  with  man,  wife  and  children, 
like  dogs  and  cats,  and  happy  is  he  who  gets  the  berth  near  the  fire." 


44  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THB  MASON. 

Having  completed  all  the  surveys  desired  by  his  lordship  at  this 
time,  the  two  young  men,  on  the  loth  of  April,  according  to  the 
youth's  diar}^,set  forth  from  the  south  branch  of  the  Potomac  on  their 
return  home.  "We  took  our  farewell  of  the  branch,"  says  he,  "and 
traveled  over  hills  and  mountains  to  Coddys  on  the  great  Cacapehon 
about  forty  miles ;"  traversed  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  passed  through 
the  Blue  Ridge  and  on  the  12th  of  April,  just  one  month  after  their 
departure  from  Belvoir,  arrived  once  more  at  Alount  Vernon.  He 
received  as  compensation  for  his  ser^^ices  on  this  trip  a  doubloon  per 
day,  when  actively  employed,  sometimes  six  pistoles.  (A  pistole  is 
$3.00.) 

Washington  remained  but  a  little  while  at  ISIount  Vernon.  He 
might  have  lingered  there  without  reproach,  participating  in  the 
pleasures  of  social  intercourse  with  the  Fairfaxes  and  other  neighboring 
gentry,  and  would  always  have  been  a  welcome  guest,  but  idleness  was 
not  a  trait  of  his  character.  Ere  long,  we  find  him  wending  his  way 
back  to  the  scene  of  his  labors  in  the  Valley.  This  time  he  journeyed 
alone.  George  William  Fairfax  had  entered  the  political  field  and 
was  a  successful  candidate  for  the  House  of  Burgesses.  He  had  quit 
the  hardships  and  exposures  of  frontier  life  to  mingle  with  the  affluent 
and  aristocratic  assemblages  of  Williamsburg,  while  his  young  friend 
and  former  companion  braved  the  privations  and  dangers  of  the  border 
country,  alone  and  undaunted,  until  the  storms  of  winter  drove  him 
back  to  his  mother's  home  on  the  Rappahannock.  He  was  yet  only 
a  child  in  years,  only  a  boy,  but  his  livelihood  and  possibly  that  of  his 
mother  with  four  small  children  depended  largely  upon  his  earnings. 

Up  to  this  time,  except  when  accompanied  by  George  William 
Fairfax,  Washington's  surveys  lacked  the  official  stamp  of  the  colony 
to  give  them  legal  status.  He  had  not,  as  yet,  been  commissioned  as 
a  pubhc  surveyor,  but  on  the  20th  day  of  July,  1 749  (O.  S.),  there  was 
admitted  to  record  in  the  county  of  Culpeper  the  foUowing  certificate: 

George  Washington,  Gent,  produced  a  commission  from  the  President  and 
Master  of  William  and  Mary  College,  appointing  him  to  be  surveyor  of  this  county, 
which  was  read  and  thereupon  he  took  the  usual  oaths  to  his  Majesty's  person  and 
government  and  took  and  subscribed  the  abjuration  oath  and  test,  and  then  took 
the  oath  of  surveyor,  he  became  an  officer  of  the  colony. 

In  the  future,  his  surveys  would  bear  the  stamp  and  seal  of  the 
government  oflScer  and  be  recorded  as  such. 

The  winter's  winds  had  come  again ;  Alount  Vernon  and  Belvoir 
houses  were  closed  and  their  occupants,  Major  Lawrence  Washington 


WASHINGTON  THE    SQRVEYOR.  45 

and  the  Fairfaxes,  with  their  families,  were  at  Williamsburg  attending 
the  session  of  the  General  Assembly  and  participating  in  the  fashion- 
able social  functions  of  the  colonial  capital.  It  was  a  gallant  age,  the 
age  of  pomp  and  regal  splendor  in  the  Old  Dominion  and,  amid  its 
brilliant  scenes  of  powdered  hair  and  silver  buckles,  little  thought 
was  possibly  given  to  the  awkward  youth,  who  industriously  plied  his 
rod  and  chain  for  the  Lord  of  Greenway  Court  in  far-off  Shenandoah, 
or  to  the  lonely  widowed  mother  in  her  humble  cottage  on  the  banks 
of  the  Rappahannock. 

It  had  probably  never  occurred  for  an  instant  to  the  generous 
Lawrence  that  the  pall  of  poverty  had  gathered  around  the  home  of 
his  father's  widow,  nor  to  William  Fairfax  that  the  ghost  of  actual  want 
stalked  at  the  door  of  the  wife  of  his  early  friend  and  associate  in 
Virginia.  Willing  hands  would  have  been  eagerly  extended  in  prompt 
and  liberal  response  had  an  intimation  come  of  such  a  condition,  but 
the  proud  soul  of  Mary  Washington  could  not  bend  to  supplication, 
even  to  those  upon  whom  she  had  a  claim  and  who  would  have  been 
glad  to  contribute  to  her  relief.  So  she  waited  the  coming  of  her 
eldest  son,  whose  plaintive  appeal  in  the  appended  letter  (a  facsimile 
of  which  we  also  publish) ,  telling  the  story  of  his  mother's  want  by 
intimation  only,  must  have  touched  the  hearts  and  opened  the  hands 
of  their  generous  friends  in  Williamsburg. 

May  5TH,  1749. 

Dear  Brother  :  I  hope  your  cough  is  much  mended  since  I  saw  you  last,  if 
so  likewise  hope  you  have  given  over  the  thought  of  leaving  Virginia. 

As  there  is  not  an  absolute  occasion  of  my  coming  down,  hope  you  will  get  the 
deeds  acknowledged  without  me;  my  horse  is  in  very  poor  order  to  undertake  such 
a  journey,  and  is  in  no  likelihood  of  mending  for  want  of  com  sufficient  to  support 
him;  tho'  if  there  be  any  certainty  in  the  Assemblys  not  rising  until  the  latter  end 
of  May,  will,  if  I  can,  be  down  by  that;  As  my  Mother's  term  of  years  is  out  at 
that  place,  at  Bridge's  Creek,  she  designs  to  settle  a  quarter  on  that  piece  at  Deep 
Run,  but  seems  backward  of  doing  it  until  the  Right  is  made  good,  for  fear  of 
accidents. 

It's  reported  here  that  Mr.  Spotswood  intends  to  put  down  the  Ferry  that  is 
kept  at  the  Wharf  where  he  now  lives,  and  that  IMajor  Francis  Talliaferro  intends 
to  petition  the  Assembly  for  an  Act  to  have  it  kept  from  his  House  over  against 
my  Mother's  Quarter,  and  right  through  the  very  heart  and  best  of  the  Land; 
whereas  he  can  have  no  other  view  in  it  but  for  the  Conveniences  of  a  small  Alill 
he  has  on  the  Water  side,  that  will  not  grind  above  three  Months  in  ye  twelve,  and 
the  great  inconveniency  and  prejudice  it  will  be  to  us,  hope  it  will  not  be  granted; 
besides,  I  do  not  see  where  he  can  possibly  have  a  landing  place  on  his  side  that  will 
ever  be  sufficient  for  a  lawful  landing  (by  reason  of  the  highness  of  the  Banks) ;  I 


46  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

think  we  suffer  enough  with  the  Free  Ferry,  without  being  troubled  with  such  an 
unjust  and  iniquitous  Petition  as  that,  but  hope  as  its  only  a  flying  report  he  will 
consider  better  of  it  and  drop  his  pretentions.  I  should  be  glad  (if  its  not  too  much 
trouble)  to  hear  from  you  in  the  mean  while  remain  with  my  Love  to  my  Sister, 
Dear  Sir, 

Your  affectionate  Brother, 

George  Washington. 

Augustine  Washington  had  left  his  wife  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances. In  addition  to  other  perquisites,  he  had  provided  an  income 
for  five  years  from  the  estate  at  Wakefield,  but  this  had  now  expired. 
Poor  crops  and  a  plethora  of  slaves,  which  they  would  not  sell,  had 
sapped  the  resources  of  the  widow  until  transient  poverty  darkened 
the  door  of  her  humble  home  and  placed  an  added  responsibility  and 
care  upon  the  shoulders  of  that  son  who  was  to  meet  greater  obliga- 
tions than  these  and  measure  up  to  every  requirement  of  the  occasion 
even  as  he  did  in  this. 

"How  far  away  now  appear  these  troubles,"  says  an  eminent 
writer,  "under  the  later  splendor  of  this  man's  career.  Lately  I 
saw  on  the  edge  of  the  Rappahannock  the  ruin  of  that  same  mill,  to 
which  the  letter  alludes,  and  on  the  heights  near  it  uninhabited  cabins 
that  may  be  the  very  same  that  stood  on  the  widow's  lower  farm, 
threatened  by  Taliferro's  proposed  ferry.  These  poor  things  once 
meant  bread  or  the  want  of  it  to  the  widow  Washington  and  her 
children.  They  also  meant  humiliation  and  disappointment  to  the 
lover  of  the  '  Lowland  Beauty.'  He  will  roam  among  the  Indians  and 
survey  my  lord's  lands,  and  write  of  'her  that's  pityless'  verses  that 
amuse  the  dry  historians." 

For  two  years  after  this  trying  circumstance,  Washington  pursued 
the  vocation  of  surveyor,  but  in  1 75 1  the  encroachments  of  the  French 
on  the  territory  of  the  Ohio  Company,  to  which  brief  reference  has 
been  made  in  a  preceding  chapter,  aroused  the  military  spirit  of  the 
people.  The  province  was  divided  into  military  districts,  each  having 
an  adjutant-general  with  the  rank  of  major,  and  the  pay  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds  a  year,  whose  duty  was  to  attend  to  the  organization 
and  equipment  of  the  militia.  Although  George  Washington  was  only 
nineteen  years  of  age,  he  secured,  through  the  influence  of  his  brother 
Lawrence,  an  appointment  to  one  of  these  positions  and  immediately 
began  preparations  to  equip  himself  for  his  new  duties. 


I 


uc/^-\-oijey\. 


rryvy 


a~^7n- 


cU^'Pnco. 


I 


WASHINGTON'S  MISSION  TO  THE  FRENCH 

COMMANDANT  AND  THE  BATTLE 

OF  GREAT  MEADOWS 

^^^  'Tr'HERE  remained  in  the  colony  a  number  of  the  veterans 
■^^^^^^  of  the  Cartagena  campaign  and  among  these  early 

companions  in  arms  of  Lawrence  Washington  was 
Adjutant  Muse,  of  Westmoreland  County.     His  farm 
was  on  Pope's  Creek  and  adjoined  that  of  Wakefield. 
Another  of  Lawrence's  old  comrades  was  Jacob  Van 
Braam,  a  Dutchman  by  birth,  who  had  served  in  the  British  army,  but, 
now  retired,  was  hving  at  Fredericksburg.     These  two  experienced 
soldiers  were  employed  by  Major  LawTence  to  instruct  the  youthful 
George  in  the  arts  and  artifices  of  war.     "  Under  the  tutelage  of  these 
veterans,  Mount  Vernon,"  says  Washington  Irvang,  "from  being  a 
quiet  rural  retreat,  where  Washington,  three  years  previously,  had 
indited  love  ditties  to  his  '  Lowland  Beauty, '  was  suddenly  trans- 
formed into  a  school  of  arms,  as  he  practised  the  manual  exercise  with 
Adjutant  Muse  or  took  lessons  on  the  broadsword  from  Van  Braam.  " 
His  military  studies,  however,  were  suddenly  and  sadly  inter- 
rupted for  a  time  by  the  critical  condition  of  his  brother's  health  and  a 
trip  to  the  Bahamas,  to  which  reference  has  been  made.     Immediately 
after  his  return  from  the  Barbadoes  and  the  death  of  Major  Lawrence, 
Washington  renewed  his  martial  training  under  ISIuse  and  Van  Braam. 
Further  complaints  from  the  Ohio  Company  spurred  Governor 
Dinwiddle  to  determined  action.     He  hastily  despatched  Captain 
W^illiam  Trent  to  expostulate  with  the  French  commandant  on  the 
Ohio  for  his  encroachments  on  the  territory  of  his  Britannic  majesty. 
The  governor's  agent  appears  to  have  been  a  timid  man,  who, 
dismayed  at  the  menacing  condition  of  affairs  on  the  border,  lost  heart 
and  hastily  returned  without  accomplishing  even  a  part  of  his  object. 
The  stubborn  Scotch  governor  now  determined  to  find  a  more  capable 
messenger.     There  were  certain  quahties  essential  for  the  success  of 
the  undertaking.     The  man  appointed  must  possess  courage  to  cope 
with  the  savage,  sagacity  to  deal  with  the  experienced  French  com- 
mandant, and  vigilance  to  observe  every  condition  that  might  be  of 
future  advantage  to  the  colony. 

47 


48  WASHINGTON  THE!   MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

Washington's  name  was  suggested.  He  possessed  every  attain- 
ment to  qualify  him  for  the  dehcate  and  dangerous  position;  he  was 
acquainted  with  the  matters  in  litigation,  having  been  in  the  bosom 
councils  of  his  deceased  brother,  and  was  an  experienced  frontiersman, 
familiar  with  the  habits  and  traits  of  the  cunning  red  man.  It  is  true 
he  was  not  yet  twenty-two  years  of  age,  but  public  confidence  in  the 
wisdom  of  the  youth  justified  his  appointment  and  Governor  Dinwiddle 
did  not  hesitate.  "Ye're  a  braw  lad,"  said  he,  on  handing  him  his 
instructions,  "and  gin  you  play  your  cards  weel,  my  boy,  ye  shall  hae 
nae  cause  to  rue  your  bargain. " 

The  governor's  instructions  to  the  major  were  somewhat  exten- 
sive but  explicit.     He  said,  in  conclusion'. 

You  are  diligently  to  inquire  into  the  numbers  and  force  of  the  French  on  the 
Ohio  and  the  adjacent  country;  how  they  are  likely  to  be  assisted  from  Canada;  and 
what  are  the  difficulties  and  conveniences  of  that  communication,  and  the  time 
required  for  it.  You  are  to  take  care  to  be  truly  informed  what  forts  the  French 
have  erected,  and  where ;  how  they  are  garrisoned  and  appointed,  and  what  is  their 
distance  from  each  other,  and  from  Logstown ;  and,  from  the  best  intelligence  you 
can  procure,  you  are  to  learn  what  gave  occasion  to  this  expedition  of  the  French; 
how  they  are  likely  to  be  supported,  and  what  their  pretensions  are.  When  the 
French  commandant  has  given  you  the  required  and  necessary  dispatches,  you  are 
to  desire  of  him  a  proper  guard  to  protect  you,  as  far  on  your  return  as  you  judge  for 
your  safety,  against  any  straggling  Indians  or  himters  that  may  be  ignorant  of  your 
character  and  molest  you.  Wishing  you  good  success  in  your  negotiations,  and  a 
safe  and  speedy  return,  I  am,  etc. 

Robert  Dinwiddib. 
Wn-LIAMSBURG,  30th  October. 

The  governor  also  furnished  him  with  proper  credentials  reposing 
special  trust  and  confidence  in  his  ability,  conduct  and  fidelity ;  also  a 
passport  commanding  all  of  his  majesty's  subjects  and  requiring  all  in 
alliance  and  amity  with  the  crown  of  Great  Britain  to  be  aiding  and 
assisting  as  a  safeguard  to  his  express  messenger. 

Washington  received  his  credentials  on  the  29th  day  of  October, 
1753,  and,  after  hurried  preparation,  on  October  30  set  off  on  his 
perilous  mission.  Proceeding  to  Fredericksburg,  he  engaged  his  for- 
mer master  of  fence,  Jacob  Van  Braam,  as  French  interpeter.  From 
Fredericksburg,  he  hastened  to  Alexandria  and,  having  provided  the 
necessaries  of  his  journey,  hurried  to  Winchester,  then  a  frontier  vil- 
lage. Here  he  procured  horses,  tents  and  other  traveling  equipments 
and  then  pushed  on  by  a  newly  opened  road  to  Will's  Creek,  now 
Cumberland,  where  he  arrived  on  the  15th  day  of  November.     At 


Washington's  mission  to  the  French  commandant.        49 

Cumberland  he  was  joined  by  that  intrepid  pioneer  and  explorer, 
Christopher  Gist,  and  an  Indian  interpreter,  John  Davidson.  With 
his  httle  company  on  the  following  day,  November  16,  he  entered  the 
great  forest,  directing  his  course  to  the  seat  of  the  French  comman- 
dant at  Fort  LeBoeuf ,  near  Lake  Erie. 

It  is  not  our  intention  to  follow  the  subject  of  these  memoirs  day 
by  day  through  his  mihtar>'  and  political  life.  We  leave  this  to  others, 
and  for  the  purposes  of  this  work  will  refer  only  to  the  important 
events  in  his  pubhc  career,  deahng  more  particularly  with  his  social, 
civil  and  political  environments,  and  with  the  men  and  women  who 
gathered  around  him  in  official  and  in  private  life. 

The  extended  and  varied  service  of  this  great  man  does  not  pro- 
duce a  more  interesting  epoch  than  is  found  in  this  journey  through  the 
wilderness.  With  the  sagacity  of  a  trained  diplomat,  he  wrung  from 
the  French  their  innermost  secrets,  outwitted  the  Indian  in  his  own 
game,  and  displayed  the  most  heroic  courage  and  fortitude  in  the  face 
of  stupendous  obstacles  and  dangers.  Successfully  overcoming  every 
difficulty,  without  display  or  parade  he  quietly  rode  into  Wilhamsburg 
on  the  1 6th  day  of  Januarys  1754,  after  an  absence  of  two  months  and 
a  half,  having  traveled  over  a  thousand  miles,  most  of  the  way  through 
an  unbroken  and  unexplored  wilderness,  inhabited  by  wild  beasts  and 
wilder  men,  and  delivered  the  reply  from  the  French  commandant  to 
Governor  Dinwiddle.  At  the  same  time  he  rendered  a  full  report  of 
his  journey,  which  was  afterwards  published  and  widely  circulated,  not 
only  throughout  the  colonies,  but  spread  broadcast  over  all  England. 
An  eminent  writer  says : 

The  prudence,  sagacity,  resolution,  firmness  and  self-devotion  manifested  by 
him  throughout;  his  admirable  tact  and  self  possession  in  treating  with  fickle 
savages  and  crafty  white  men;  the  soldier's  eye  with  which  he  had  noticed  the 
commanding  and  defensible  points  of  the  country,  and  everything  that  could  bear 
upon  military  operations;  and  the  hardihood  with  which  he  had  acquitted  himself 
during  a  wintry  tramp  through  the  wilderness,  through  constant  storms  of  rain  and 
snow;  often  sleeping  on  the  ground  without  a  tent,  in  the  open  air,  and  in  danger 
from  treacherous  foes — all  pointed  him  out  not  merely  to  the  governor,  but  to  the 
public  at  large,  as  one  eminently  fitted,  notwithstanding  his  youth,  for  important 
trusts  involving  civil  as  well  as  military  duties.  It  is  an  expedition  that  may  be 
considered  the  foundation  of  his  fortunes.  From  that  moment  he  was  the  rising 
hope  of  Virginia. 

The  pubhcation  of  Washington's  journal  aroused  the  colonial  and 
the  home  governments  to  a  deep  sense  of  impending  danger.  Gov- 
ernor Dinwiddle  convened  the  House  of  Burgesses  to  devise  means 


50  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

and  measures  for  public  security.  Three  hundred  men  were  enlisted 
and  divided  into  six  companies.  The  command  of  the  whole  was 
offered  to  Washington,  who,  deeming  the  responsibility  too  great  for 
his  youth  and  experience,  declined.  It  was  then  given  to  Colonel 
Joshua  Fry,  with  Washington  second  in  command,  and  on  the  2nd  of 
April,  having  enlisted  two  companies,  he  set  forth  from  Alexandria  for 
the  new  fort  at  the  forks  of  the  Ohio  with  but  one  hundred  and  fifty 
men,  followed  by  Colonel  Fry  with  the  artillery  and  the  remainder  of 
the  regiment.  From  Alexandria,  they  proceeded  by  way  of  Win- 
chester to  Will's  Creek  (now  Cumberland,  ISIar^-land) ,  arriving  there 
on  the  20th  of  April.  Here  he  halted  to  await  the  coming  of  Colonel 
Fr}^'s  detachments,  when,  on  their  arrival,  he  again  took  up  his 
march  on  the  20th  of  April. 

Pressing  forward  with  his  little  force  over  mountains,  and  through 
a  rugged,  broken  country,  he  arrived  on  ]\Iay  24  at  a  place  called 
Great  Meadows,  where  he  received  information  of  the  approach  of  the 
enemy  in  force.  Hastily  intrenching  himself,  he  prepared  to  resist 
their  advance,  but  the  information  proved  overdrawn. 

On  May  25,  Mr.  Gist  apprised  him  of  the  presence  of  a  band  of 
French  scouts  or  spies  lurking  in  the  vicinity.  Washington  with  a 
detachment  of  forty  men  sallied  forth  in  the  night,  and  on  the  early 
morning  of  May  28  surprised  the  French  in  their  hiding  place.  After 
a  lively  skirmish,  lasting  about  fifteen  minutes,  the  French  party  was 
defeated,  eleven  being  killed  or  wounded  and  twenty-one  captured. 
Among  the  French  slain  wasM.  Dejumonville,  the  leader  of  the  band. 

This  was  Washington's  first  battle  and  served  to  stimulate  him  to 
further  action.  On  the  29th  the  prisoners  taken  were  sent  back  to 
Will's  Creek  where  Colonel  Fry,  the  ranking  officer  of  the  expedition, 
was  detained  by  serious  illness,  from  which  he  soon  after  died.  The 
command  devolving  upon  the  youthful  Washington,  on  the  nth  of 
June  he  resumed  his  laborious  march  towards  Red  Stone  creek.  He 
had  advanced  but  twelve  miles  when  reliable  information  came  of  the 
approach  of  a  large  force  of  the  allied  enemy.  Washington's  situation 
was  now  precarious.  Lack  of  supplies,  failure  to  receive  the  necessary 
recruits,  and  the  exhausted  condition  of  his  little  army  forced  a  hasty 
return  to  the  improvised  fortifications  at  Great  Meadows,  where  he 
arrived  on  the  first  day  of  July,  closely  pursued  by  the  French  and 
Indians.  It  was  there,  three  days  later,  that  Washington  engaged 
in  the  first  set  battle  of  his  career,  which  resulted  in  his  capitulating 
to  the  French  commander  under  certain  favorable  conditions.    After 


Washington's  mission  to  thb  French  commandant.        51 

destroying  their  artillery,  ammunition  and  military  stores,  with  their 
portable  equipment,  the  forlorn  band  of  continental  troops  marched 
out  of  the  temporary  fortification  and  slowly  wended  their  way  back 
to  the  fort  at  Will's  Creek.  From  there  Washington  hastened  on  to 
Williamsburg  to  make  his  report,  while  his  troops  by  easy  stages  made 
their  way  back  to  Alexandria,  at  which  place  he  joined  them  in  the 
following  month. 

Notwithstanding  the  disastrous  results  of  the  expedition,  the 
assembly  expressed  its  confidence  in  the  young  commander  and 
extended  a  vote  of  thanks  with  certain  extra  compensation. 

Governor  Dinwiddle,  incensed  at  the  success  of  the  French,  urged 
immediate  action  on  the  part  of  the  colonies.  He  increased  the  pro- 
vincial force  to  ten  independent  companies,  in  which  no  officer  of  the 
Virginia  line  was  to  rank  higher  than  a  captain  and  each  colonial  cap- 
tain was  to  yield  precedence  to  the  officers  royally  commissioned. 
Washington  indignantly  resented  this  unjust  scheme,  which  would 
reduce  him  from  his  well-merited  position  of  lieutenant-colonel  to  that 
of  captain,  and  notwithstanding  an  urgent  request  for  his  services, 
accompanied  by  assurances  of  high  regard  from  Governor  Sharpe  of 
Maryland,  who  had  been  created  commander-in-chief,  he  promptly 
resigned  his  commission  and  retired  to  private  life  at  Mount  Vernon. 


WASHINGTON  IN  BRADDOCK'S  CAMPAIGN 

A  FTER  relinquishing  his  command  and  disengaging  him- 
self from  public  service,  Washington's  first  act  was  to 


visit  his  mother,  inquire  into  the  state  of  her  affairs 
and  look  after  the  welfare  of  his  younger  brothers  and 
sister.  This  duty  performed,  he  resumed  his  residence 
at  Mount  Vernon,  which,  after  the  marriage  of  his 
brother  Lawrence's  widow  to  Mr.  George  Lee,  had,  imder  the  will  of 
that  brother,  reverted  to  him  in  fee. 

Washington,  even  at  this  early  age,  evinced  the  liveliest  interest 
in  agricultural  pursuits  and  with  his  brother,  John  Augustine,  who  had 
charge  of  the  plantation  during  his  absence,  entered  into  the  farming 
industry  with  characteristic  zeal  and  method.  This  agreeable  occu- 
pation, however,  was  soon  to  be  disturbed.  Incensed  at  the  con- 
tinued French  aggression  and  keenly  resenting  the  disaster  at  Great 
Meadows,  the  home  government  now  took  immediate  action  to  vigor- 
ously resent  these  outrages,  appropriated  a  million  pounds  sterling 
to  augment  the  colonial  war  chest  for  the  defence  of  the  colonies  and 
appointed  Major-General  Edward  Braddock  commander-in-chief  of 
the  forces. 

Braddock  sailed  from  Cork  in  Ireland  on  the  15th  day  of  January, 
I755>  with  two  regiments  of  foot,  consisting  each  of  five  hundred 
British  regulars,  under  Colonel  Dunbar  and  Colonel  (Sir)  Peter  Halket, 
officers  of  high  repute  for  ability  and  experience.  Landing  at  Hamp- 
ton in  Virginia,  on  the  20th  of  February,  the  commander-in-chief 
repaired  to  Williamsburg,  thence,  with  Governor  Dinwiddle  and  a 
numerous  escort,  to  Alexandria,  the  place  of  rendezvous,  where  Com- 
modore Augustus  Keppel,*  with  his  squadron  of  two  ships  of  war 
and  several  transports  bearing  the  royal  troops,  had  already  arrived. 
Looking  down  from  his  rural  retreat  at  Mount  Vernon,  Washing- 
ton probably  saw  the  English  flotilla  as  it  passed  up  the  beautiful 
river  on  its  way  to  the  village  of  Alexandria,  and  there  can  be  httle 
doubt  that  his  martial  spirit  welcomed  the  opportunity  to  honorably 
participate  in  the  expedition  which  was  offered  a  few  days  later,  by 

•Commodore  Keppel's  second  sister.  Lady  Caroline  Keppel,  married  in  1758  Robert  Adair, 
for  whom  she  wrote  before  her  marriage  that  beautiful  ballad  "Robin  Adair,"  that  was  destined 
to  become  familiar  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  civUized  world. 

53 


54  WASHINGTON  THE   MAN  AND  THE   MASON. 

the  receipt  of  the  appended  invitation  to  become  a  member  of  Brad- 
dock's  staff : 

Williamsburg,  March  2nd,  1755. 
Sir:  The  general  having  been  informed  that  you  expressed  some  desire  to  make 
the  campaign,  but  that  you  declined  it  upon  some  disagreeableness  which  you  thought 
might  arise  from  the  regulations  of  command,  has  ordered  me  to  acquaint  you, 
that  he  will  be  very  glad  of  your  company  in  his  family,  by  which  all  inconvenience 
of  that  kind  will  be  obviated.  I  shall  think  myself  very  happy  to  form  an  acquaint- 
ance with  a  person  so  universally  esteemed,  and  shall  use  every  opportunity  of 
assuring  you  how  much  I  am,  sir. 

Your  obedient  servant, 

Robert  Orme,  Aide-de-camp. 

Placing  his  affairs  at  Mount  Vernon  again  in  the  hands  of  his 
brother,  John  Augustine,  with  whom,  since  the  resignation  of  his 
Virginia  command,  he  had  been  keeping  "  bachelor's  hall,"  he  promptly- 
accepted  the  invitation  of  General  Braddock,  repaired  to  Alexandria, 
took  up  his  headquarters  in  Gadsby's Tavern  (now  City  Hotel),  and 
proceeded  to  assist  in  marshaling  the  Virginia  contingent,  which  was 
also  being  assembled  in  that  city. 

A  courteous  reception  awaited  Washington  from  General  B  raddock 
who  complimented  him  on  the  favorable  report  he  had  received  of  his 
merits,  and  from  Captains  Orme  and  Morris,  the  general's  aides-de- 
camp. These  young  officers  welcomed  him  into  frank  companionship 
and  a  cordial  intimacy  was  begun  between  them  that  continued 
throughout  the  campaign. 

There  assembled  in  Alexandria,  in  addition  to  the  military,  a 
number  of  distinguished  civilians,  representing  several  colonies.  On 
the  14th  of  April,  a  grand  council  of  the  five  governors  was  held  at  the 
home  of  Major  John  Carlyle*  at  which  were  present  Governor  Shirley 

•John  Carlyle,  ia  whose  house  the  Council  of  War  was  held,  was  of  Scotch  descent;  bom 
February  6,  1720;  emigrated  to  Virginia,  1740;  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  William  Fairfax  of 
Belvoir;  in  1752  he  erected  the  now  famous  Carlyle  House  in  Alexandria,  on  the  foundations  of 
an  old  fort;  the  house  was  occupied  in  April,  1755,  by  General  Braddock  as  his  headquarters;  on 
the  26th  of  January,  1 755,  Governor  Dinwiddie  of  Virginia  appointed  Mr.  Carlyle  major  and  com- 
missary of  the  Virginia  forces  in  the  Braddock  Campaign.  In  1 758  he  succeeded  his  father-in-law. 
Honorable  William  Fairfax,  as  collector  of  his  majesty's  customs  on  the  south  Potomac;  in  the 
Revolution  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the  colonies  and  was  a  zealous  patriot.  His  only  son,  George 
William,  waskilled  in  the  battle  of  Eutavv  Springs,  South  Carolina,  September  18,1781,  fighting  under 
"Light  Horse"  Harry  Lee,  at  the  age  of  ordy  seventeen.  It  was  in  his  house  that  the  seed  of 
colonial  taxation  by  the  English  ParUament  was  planted.  During  their  conference  with  General 
Braddock,  the  five  governors  referred  to  gave  it  as  their  unanimous  opinion  "  that  a  common  fund 
proposed  for  the  prosecution  of  the  French  War  can  never  be  established  in  the  colonies  without 
the  aid  of  Parliament."  They  likewise  declared  that  "having  found  it  impracticable  to  obtain  in 
their  respective  governments  their  proportions  expected  by  his  Majesty  towards  defraying  the 


^t. 


< 
> 


z 

< 

X 


S 
< 

< 


o 
z 

I— I 

< 


WASHINGTON   IN   BRADDOCK's   CAMPAIGN.  55 

of  Massachusetts,  Lieutenant  Governor  DeLancey  of  New  York, 
Lieutenant  Governor  Sharpe  of  Maryland,  Lieutenant  Governor 
Morris  of  Pennsylvania,  Governor  Dinwiddle  of  Virginia,  General 
Braddock,  and  Colonel  Washington. 

At  this  meeting  the  general's  commission  was  read  and  the  plan  of 
campaign,  previously  discussed,  agreed  upon;  Washington's  appoint- 
ment as  major  on  Braddock's  staff  was  officially  announced  and  a 
general  discussion  of  the  proposed  campaign  entered  into.  It  may  be 
interesting  to  note  Washington's  opinion  of  Braddock,  formed  after  a 
short  acquaintance  and  that  subsequent  events  proved  the  correct- 
ness of  those  first  impressions: 

He  appears  to  be  stately  and  somewhat  haughty,  exact  in  matters  of  military 
etiquette  and  discipline,  positive  in  gi\nng  an  opinion  and  obstinate  in  maintaining 
it  but  of  an  honorable  and  generous,  though  somewhat  irritable  nature. 

General  Braddock's  long,  tedious  march  from  Alexandria  to  Fort 
Duquesne  was  over  the  same  broken  route  that  young  Washington 
had  led  his  provincial  companies  the  year  before,  and  the  English 
general  might  have  been  immeasurably  benefited  by  the  experience 
of  a  colonial  colonel,  not  only  in  the  affair  of  the  battle,  but  in  his 
difficult  and  laborious  journey,  had  he  permitted  his  haughty  spirit 
to  yield  to  the  advice  of  his  aide-de-camp.  Braddock  left  Alexandria 
on  the  2oth  of  April  and  did  not  reach  Fort  Cumberland  until  the 
19th  of  May.  Up  to  this  point,  he  rode  in  a  chariot  with  an  extensive 
body-guard  and  outriders  and  much  of  the  heraldry  and  pomp  of 
continental  warfare.  This  style,  to  his  great  disappointment,  he  was 
now  forced  to  abandon.  From  that  point  on  he  must  travel  through 
narrow  defiles,  up  and  over  rugged  mountains,  ford  dangerous  streams, 
and  combat  with  every  species  of  discouragement  and  adversity.    To 

expense  of  his  services  in  North  America,  we  are  unanimously  of  opinion  that  it  should  be  proposed 
to  his  Majesty's  Ministers  to  find  out  some  method  of  compelling  them  to  do  it,  and  of  assessing 
the  several  governments  in  proportion  to  their  respective  abilities,  their  shares  of  the  whole  money 
already  furnished  and  what  it  shall  be  thought  proper  for  them  further  to  furnish  towards  the 
general  expense  of  his  service." 

After  the  adjournment  of  the  council.  General  Braddock  wrote  from  the  Carlyle  House,  on 
April  19,  1755,  to  Sir  Thomas  Robinson,  one  of  his  majesty's  secretaries  of  state,  as  follows: 
"...  You  will  be  sufficiently  informed,  sir,  by  the  minutes  of  the  Council  which  I  send  you,  of 
the  impossibility  of  obtaining  from  several  colonies  the  estabhshment  of  a  general  fund  agreeable 
to  his  Majesty's  instructions  ...  I  cannot  but  take  the  liberty  to  repeat  to  you  the  necessity  of 
laying  a  tax  upon  all  his  Majesty's  dominions  in  America,  agreeably  to  the  result  of  Council,  for 
reimbursing  the  great  sums  that  must  be  advanced  for  the  service  and  interest  of  the  colonies  in  this 
important  crisis." 

This  was  the  first  suggestion  by  British  officials  in  council,  for  taxing  the  American  colonies — 
a  project  which  ended  in  their  independence. 


56  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

surmount  these  difficulties  he  needed  to  lay  aside  the  tinsel  and  trap- 
pings of  parade  and  resort  to  the  rougher  but  more  practical  methods 
of  the  frontier. 

This, however, he  refused  to  do,  and  in  consequence  of  his  determi- 
nation to  adhere  to  military  rules  and  technical  forms,  regardless  of 
the  advice  of  Washington  and  experienced  frontiersmen,  Braddock 
consumed  a  month  in  marching  little  more  than  a  hundred  miles,  so 
that  it  was  not  until  the  early  part  of  July  that  he  arrived  at  the  ford 
of  the  Monongahela  River,  about  fifteen  miles  below  Fort  Duquesne. 

There  was  one  fortunate  circumstance  in  connection  with  this 
sad  affair — Major  Washington  had  been  suffering  from  a  serious  illness 
which  had  kept  him  in  the  rear  of  the  army  for  several  weeks,  but 
regardless  of  the  protest  of  his  physician,  Dr.  James  Craik,  and  his 
brother  aides,  Orme  and  Morris,  and  while  yet  unable  to  walk  for  any 
considerable  distance,  he,  to  the  surprise  of  General  Braddock,  joined 
the  advance  forces  on  July  8,  the  day  before  the  disastrous  engagement 
and  just  as  the  fated  army  was  approaching  the  narrow  defile  or 
dangerous  cover  where  death  and  destruction  awaited  them. 

Fully  sensible  of  the  gravity  of  the  situation,  Washington  appealed 
to  Braddock  to  be  cautious  and  to  permit  the  colonial  rangers  to  go 
forward  and  investigate  the  surroundings,  warning  him  of  the  skulking 
foe,  which  was  not  to  be  despised  under  such  conditions.  All  of  this 
salutary  advice  the  Englishman  scornfully  rejected  and,  without  even 
an  outrider  or  vidette,' pressed  onward  into  the  very  jaws  of  the  trap 
which  the  Indians  had  so  cunningly  set  for  his  destruction.  Major 
Washington  was  still  confined  to  his  couch  in  an  ambulance,  and  it  was 
only  after  the  battle  began  that  he  climbed  from  the  covered  wagon, 
though  weak  and  emaciated,  mounted  his  horse  and,  with  that  superb 
serenity  and  mental  poise,  conspicuous  traits  of  his  character  in  time 
of  great  emergency,  plunged  into  the  thickest  of  the  fight.  "  I  expected 
every  moment,"  said  his  friend.  Dr.  Craik,  "to  see  him  fall;  his  duty 
and  situation  exposed  him  to  every  danger ;  nothing  but  the  superin- 
tending care  of  Providence  could  have  saved  him  from  the  fate  of  all 
around  him."  Wliile  all  the  other  mounted  officers  of  Braddock's 
army  were,  without  exception,  slain  or  disabled,  the  Virginia  aide-de- 
camp was  mysteriously  protected,  as  if  to  fulfil  some  higher  destiny, 
and  miraculously  preserved  from  what  appeared  to  be  inevitable 
death  without  even  a  wound. 

We  shall  not  dwell  upon  the  harrowing  circumstances  attending 
General  Braddock's  defeat.     He  had  spumed  all  advice,  rejected 


WASHINGTON    IN   BRADDOCK  S   CAMPAIGN.  57 

every  word  of  counsel  and,  with  persistent  obstinacy,  permitted  his 
splendid  army  of  more  than  fourteen  hundred  English  and  colonials 
to  be  entrapped  and  virtually  annihilated  by  an  inferior  force  of  the 
roughest  mongrel  element  of  the  backwoods  numbering  only  eight 
hundred  and  fifty-five  in  all,  of  which  six  hundred  and  thirty-seven 
were  Indians. 

The  wounded  Braddock  was  given  in  special  charge  of  Captain 
Stuart  of  the  Virginia  militia,  who  with  Dr.  Craik  gave  him  every 
possible  attention.  Placed  on  a  stretcher,  he  was  rapidly  borne  to 
the  rear,  while  Washington  rallied  the  fragment  of  his  provincial  force 
and  stayed  as  best  he  could  the  wild  rush  of  the  panic-stricken  regulars. 

Notwithstanding  everything  possible  was  done  to  relieve  the 
afflicted  general,  he  rapidly  grew  worse  and  died  four  days  after  the 
fatal  fight,  and  on  the  night  of  the  13th  of  July,  1755,  at  low  twelve, 
'mid  the  solemn  stillness  of  that  obscure  woodland,  Washington  read 
the  funeral  service  and  laid  him  to  rest  in  the  little  valley  of  the  Great 
Meadows,  near  the  primitive  fort  he  had  erected  a  year  before. 

Amid  this  desolate  scene  of  death  and  disorder,  the  youthful 
major's  first  thought,  after  the  burial  of  Braddock,  turned  to  the 
humble  cottage  on  the  far-away  Rappahannock  where  his  mother, 
with  her  little  children,  anxiously  awaited  tidings  from  her  eldest  son. 
She  was  not  kept  long  in  suspense,  as  on  the  day  following  the  midnight 
funeral  service,  the  ensuing  letter  was  forwarded  by  a  special  courier. 
It  remains  as  an  eloquent  tribute  to  the  fihal  devotion  of  this  great 
man,  so  often  demonstrated  in  after  life. 

Camp  op  Great  Meadows,  July  14,  1775. 
Honored  Madam  :  As  I  doubt  not  you  have  heard  of  our  defeat,  and  perhaps 
have  had  it  represented  in  a  worse  light,  if  possible,  than  it  deserves,  I  have  taken 
the  earliest  opportunity  to  give  an  account  of  the  engagement  as  it  happened  within 
seven  miles  of  the  French  fort  on  Wednesday,  the  9th  inst.  We  marched  on  to  that 
place  without  any  considerable  loss,  losing  now  and  then  a  straggler  by  the  French 
and  Indians,  whose  number  I  am  certain  did  not  exceed  three  hundred  men.  Ours 
consisted  of  about  thirteen  hundred  well  armed  troops,  chiefly  of  the  English  soldiers, 
who  were  struck  with  such  a  panic  that  they  behaved  with  more  cowardice  than  it 
is  possible  to  conceive.  The  officers  behaved  gallantly  in  order  to  encourage  the 
men,  for  which  they  suffered  greatly,  there  being  nearly  sixty  killed  and  wounded,  a 
large  proportion  out  of  the  number  we  had.  The  Virginia  troops  showed  a  great 
deal  of  bravery  and  were  nearly  all  killed,  for  out  of  three  companies  there  is  scarce 
thirty  men  left  alive.  Capt.  Poulson  shared  a  hard  fate,  for  only  one  of  his  men 
was  left.  In  short,  the  dastardly  behavior  of  those  they  called  regulars  exposed  all 
others  that  were  inclined  to  their  duty  to  almost  certain  death,  and  at  last  in  spite 
of  all  the  efforts  of  the  officers  to  the  contrary  they  broke  and  ran  as  sheep  pursued 


58  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

by  dogs,  and  it  was  impossible  to  rally  them.  The  general,  Braddock,  was  wounded 
and  died  three*  days  after.  Sir  Peter  Halketwas  killed  on  the  field  where  died  many 
other  brave  officers.  I  luckily  escaped  without  a  wound,  though  I  had  four  bullets 
through  my  coat,  and  two  horses  shot  under  me.  Captains  Orme  and  Morris,  two 
of  the  general's  aides-de-camp,  were  wounded  early  in  the  engagement,  which  made 
the  duty  hard  on  me,  as  I  was  the  only  person  left  to  distribute  the  general's  orders, 
which  I  was  scarely  able  to  do,  as  I  was  not  half  recovered  from  a  violent  spell  of 
sickness  that  confined  me  to  my  bed  and  wagon  for  about  ten  days.  I  am  still  in 
a  weak  and  feeble  condition  which  induces  me  to  halt  here  two  or  three  days,  in 
the  hopes  of  recovering  a  little  strength  to  enable  me  to  proceed  homeward,  from 
whence  I  fear  I  will  not  be  able  to  stir  until  towards  September.  From  your  obe- 
dient son, 

George  Washington. 

The  subsequent  ignominious  flight  of  Colonel  Dunbar  with  the 
remnant  of  English  regulars  to  Philadelphia  will  ever  remain  a  stigma 
upon  his  memory,  leaving  as  he  did,  regardless  of  public  appeal,  the 
whole  frontier  exposed  to  the  ruthless  savage,  while  Washington,  still 
suffering  from  the  effects  of  his  illness,  safely  convoyed  the  bleeding 
fragments  of  his  colonial  forces  back  to  a  place  of  refuge  and  safety. 

Out  of  eighty-six  officers,  all  told,  twenty-six  had  been  killed 
and  thirty-six  wounded,  and  the  number  of  rank  and  file  killed  and 
wounded  amounted  to  over  seven  hundred.  "The  Virginia  Corps," 
says  Irving,  "had  suffered  the  most.  One  company  had  been  almost 
annihilated,  another,  besides  those  killed  and  wounded  in  the  ranks, 
had  lost  all  of  its  officers  even  to  the  corporal." 

We  must  not  close  our  brief  summary  of  Braddock's  defeat  with- 
out a  short  reference  to  some  of  the  minor  colonial  officers  who  took 
part  in  this  great  tragedy  of  the  woods — men  whose  names  were 
destined  to  loom  up  in  our  history  and  to  remain  there,  as  illustrious 
examples  of  patriotic  zeal  in  the  cause  of  American  independence. 

Among  these  obscure  provincials  was  Dr.  Hugh  Mercer,  a  Scotch- 
man, about  thirty-two  years  of  age,  who  had  joined  Braddock's  forces 
in  its  early  stages  and  become  strongly  attached  to  Washington,  an 
attachment  which  continued  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He 
subsequently  settled  in  Fredericksburg,  Virginia,  became  prominent  in 
colonial  affairs  and  a  major-general  in  the  continental  army,  and  went 
down  to  his  death  on  the  bloody  field  of  Princeton,  honored  and 
respected  by  even  his  enemies.  Dr.  James  Craik,  another  Scotchman, 
who  just  previous  to  the  Braddock  campaign  had  taken  up  his  resi- 

*The  date  of  Braddock's  death  is  given  by  Irving  and  other  historians  as  the  14th,  which 
would  make  four  and  not  three  days  as  stated  in  Washington's  letter  to  his  mother. 


GENERAL  EDWARD  BRADDOCK  AND  HIS  HEADQUARTERS,  THE  CAKLYLE  HOUSE, 

ALEXANDRIA,  VA. 


WASHINGTON    IN   BRADDOCK'S   CAMPAIGN.  59 

dence  in  Alexandria,  attached  himself  to  the  colonial  forces  and  par- 
ticipated in  the  entire  campaign.  The  friendship  of  Washington  and 
Dr.  Craik  never  diminished  from  this  tragic  hour  to  the  day  of  their 
death.  He  was  with  Washington  during  the  entire  Revolution  and 
rose  to  the  position  of  surgeon-general  in  the  revolutionary  army.  It 
is  a  curious  fact  that  Craik  dressed  the  wounds  of  and  nursed  Braddock 
in  his  dying  moments  at  Fort  Duquesne,  ministered  to  the  last  wants 
of  Mercer  at  Princeton,  and  stood  by  the  bedside  of  General  Wash- 
ington when  he  passed  away  at  Mount  Vernon. 

The  third  of  these  provincials  who  became  distinguished  in  after 
years  was  Daniel  Morgan.  As  a  humble  teamster  he  was  hauling 
iron  ore  to  John  Ballandine's  furnace  at  the  little  town  of  Colchester, 
about  sixteen  miles  below  Alexandria,  when  Braddock  and  Dinwiddie 
came  up  over  the  King's  Highway  from  Williamsburg.  Disposing  of 
his  equipment,  he  joined  the  colonial  forces  and  participated  in  the 
fight  at  Monongahela.  Returning  to  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  he  took 
up  his  residence  at  Winchester  and  heroically  assisted  Washington  in 
the  defence  of  the  frontier.  When  the  revolutionary  war  broke  out 
he  was  the  first  from  Virginia  to  respond  to  the  call  for  recruits  to 
the  army  in  the  north  and,  within  ten  days  after  receiving  his  com- 
mission as  captain,  he  enlisted  ninety-six  riflemen  and  marched  from 
the  Shenandoah  Valley  to  Cambridge,  a  distance  of  six  hundred  miles, 
in  seventeen  days.  Later  on,  in  the  spring  of  1777,  he  returned  to 
Winchester  and  raised  two  regiments  of  six  companies  each,  which,  as 
"Morgan's  Riflemen,"  were  famed  for  their  deadly  work  and  daring 
throughout  the  memorable  struggle.  He  was  one  of  the  heroes  of 
Quebec  and  Saratoga,  and  immortalized  himself  and  his  regiment  at 
the  battle  of  the  Cowpens,  striking  a  crushing  blow  to  the  famous 
Tarleton's  Raiders. 

After  the  death  of  Braddock,  being  abandoned  by  Dunbar  and 
his  royal  contingent,  most  of  the  provincial  troops  returned  to  their 
homes,  and  Washington,  without  a  command,  again  retired  to  Mount 
Vernon,  arriving  at  his  home  on  the  26th  of  July,  1755.  His  stay  at 
this  quiet  retreat  was  to  be  of  short  duration,  for  his  name  had  become 
a  household  word,  and  the  people  soon  called  him  again  from  his 
haven  on  the  Potomac. 


WASHINGTON'S  DEFENCE  OF  THE  VALLEY  AND 
HIS  ENGAGEMENT  TO  MRS.  CUSTIS 

^jryASHINGTON  arrived  at  Mount  Vernon  after  the 
^^  Braddock  campaign  wounded  in  spirit  and  broken  in 
health.  The  disaster  at  Monongahela  preyed  upon  his 
mind.  He  bemoaned  the  sacrifice  of  the  provincial 
forces,  many  of  whom  were  his  personal  friends,  and 
sincerely  sympathized  with  the  officers  and  men  of  the 
royal  arms,  knowing  full  well  that  the  shocking  catastrophe  was  the 
result  of  the  egotism  and  intolerance  of  one  man  who  became  the 
victim  of  his  own  conceit  and  paid  the  penalty  of  his  folly  in  the  final 
hour  of  peril  by  the  forfeit  of  his  gallant  life. 

In  a  letter  to  his  brother  Augustine,  then  a  member  of  the  assem- 
bly at  Williamsburg,  Washington  unbosomed  his  feehngs.     He  writes : 

I  was  employed  to  go  a  journey  in  the  winter,  when  I  believe  few  or  none  would 
have  undertaken  it,  and  what  did  I  get  by  it? — my  expenses  borne.  I  was  then 
appointed,  with  trifling  pay,  to  conduct  a  handful  of  men  to  the  Ohio.  What  did 
I  get  by  that?  Why,  after  putting  myself  to  a  considerable  expense  in  equipping 
and  providing  necessaries  for  the  campaign,!  went  out,  was  soundly  beaten,  and  lost 
all ;  came  in,  and  had  my  commission  taken  from  me ;  or,  in  other  words,  my  com- 
mand reduced,  under  pretence  of  an  order  from  home  (England).  I  then  went  out 
a  volunteer  with  General  Braddock,  and  lost  all  my  horses  and  many  other  things. 
But  this  being  a  voluntary  act,  I  ought  not  to  have  mentioned  it;  nor  should  I  have 
done  it  were  it  not  to  show  that  I  have  been  on  the  losing  order  ever  since  I  entered 
the  service,  which  is  now  nearly  two  years. 

Filled  with  galling  disappointment,  he  did  not  and  could  not  fully 
appreciate  the  benefits  of  this  school  of  bitter  experience.  In  the 
hand  of  heaven  he  stood  to  be  shaped  and  trained  for  great  purposes 
and  these  were  the  primer  lessons,  lessons  of  dire  disappointment  and 
failure,  which  were  to  equip  him  for  the  herculean  duties  of  future 
life.  But,  regardless  of  crushing  disappointments  and  woeful  lamen- 
tations, he  could  not  expel  from  his  noble  spirit  the  martial  fever  nor 
over-ruling  pity  for  the  afflicted  and  horror-stricken  frontier  settlers. 
He  had  seen  their  suffering  and  knew  full  well  the  constant  peril  of 
their  exposed  condition. 

Governor  Dinwiddie  convened  the  assembly  on  the  4th  of  August 

to  devise  measures  for  pubhc  safety.     A  sense  of  impending  danger 

61 


62  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN  AND   THE   MASON. 

spurred  the  sluggish  burgesses  to  prompt  and  decisive  action.  Forty- 
thousand  pounds  were  voted  and  orders  issued  for  the  enUstment  of 
one  thousand  men. 

Colonel  Innes,  a  favorite  of  the  governor,  was  strongly  endorsed 
for  the  chief  command,  but  the  public  eye  turned  again  to  the  quiet 
youth  at  Moimt  Vernon,  who  made  no  effort  to  procure  the  situation. 
"If,"  said  he,  "the  command  should  be  offered  to  me,  the  case  will 
then  be  altered,  as  I  should  be  at  liberty  to  make  such  objections  as 
reason  and  my  small  experience  have  pointed  out. "  He  did  not  have 
long  to  await  the  news  of  final  action,  as  on  the  14th  of  August,  less 
than  a  month  after  his  return  home,  and  without  any  personal  solici- 
tation whatever,  he  received  information  of  his  nomination  as  com- 
mander-in-chief of  all  the  forces  raised  or  to  be  raised  in  the  colony, 
with  the  additional  privilege  of  selecting  his  own  field  officers. 

The  ignominious  retreat  of  Colonel  Dunbar  to  Philadelphia  with 
the  British  regulars  in  August,  under  the  ridiculous  pretext  of  taking 
up  winter  quarters,  leaving  the  entire  frontier  exposed  to  savage 
butchery,  was  still  fresh  in  the  minds  of  all,  and  served  to  emphasize 
the  heroism  of  young  Washington  in  accepting  the  difficult  and  dan- 
gerous task  of  protecting  this  border  country  with  raw  and  inexpe- 
rienced recruits. 

Having  held  a  brief  conference  with  His  Excellency  Governor 
Dinwiddie  at  WiUiamsburg  on  the  14th  of  September,  1756,  and 
receiving  necessary  instructions,  he  hastened  to  Winchester  where  he 
established  headquarters  and  immediately  took  steps  to  protect,  as  far 
as  possible,  the  outlying  districts  by  the  erection,  according  to  order, 
of  a  line  of  stockade  forts  from  the  northern  boundary  of  Virginia  to 
the  Carolinas,  a  distance  of  nearly  four  hundred  miles  through  a 
sparsely  populated  region ;  an  impossible  task  under  the  circumstances. 

Washington  now  found  himself  in  the  most  embarrassing  situation 
of  his  military  career.  The  beautiful  Valley  of  Virginia  was  threat- 
ened with  aU  the  horrors  of  savage  warfare,  its  terrified  inhabitants 
were  in  a  state  of  wild  alarm,  and  the  utmost  confusion  and  dismay 
prevailed.  To  add  to  his  difficulties,  the  care-free  and  former  inde- 
pendent life  of  the  new  recruits  made  them  intolerant  of  restraint  and 
disobedient  to  military  discipline.  The  colonial  laws  were  lax,  insuffi- 
cient and  obsolete,  providing  no  adequate  punishment  for  desertion 
or  other  offences  equally  grave.  His  first  move,  therefore,  was  to 
strengthen  the  authority  of  the  commander  by  legislative  action, 
giving  prompt  operation  to  court-martial,  severely  punishing  insubor- 


DEFENCE   OF   VALLEY   AND   ENGAGEMENT  TO   MRS.  CUSTIS.         63 

dination,  mutiny  and  desertion.  With  this  power,  obtained  through 
great  and  persistent  effort,  he  soon  improved  his  primitive  mihtary 
estabhshment,  but  hardly  had  this  reform  been  accomphshed  when 
another  annoying  difficulty  loomed  up  for  grave  consideration. 
The  old  hide-bound  spectre  of  precedence  of  the  crown  over  the  pro- 
vincial commissions  showed  its  ugly  face  again  as  it  had  in  the  cam- 
paign of  the  Great  Meadows.  Captain  Dagoworthy,  who  held  a 
so-called  royal  commission,  was  stationed  with  a  small  troop  of  Mary- 
land militia  (thirty  in  number)  at  Fort  Cumberland  and  refused  to 
obey  the  orders  of  any  officer  of  the  colony.  Governor  Dinwiddie, 
with  characteristic  weakness,  declined  to  take  the  initiative  and  make 
a  positive  decision  in  the  matter.  Washington,  halting  between  two 
masters,  uncertain  of  his  true  position  and  with  no  one  to  counsel, 
determined  to  refer  the  subject  to  Major-General  Shirley,  who  had 
succeeded  Braddock  in  command  of  the  English  troops  in  America. 
Accordingly  on  the  4th  of  February,  1756,  leaving  Colonel  Adam 
Stephen  in  charge  of  the  troops  in  the  Valley,  accompanied  by  his 
aides,  Captain  George  Mercer  and  Captain  Stuart,  of  the  Virginia 
Light  Horse,  he  started  on  a  journey  to  Boston,  the  headquarters  of 
the  commander-in-chief.  His  mission  to  Shirley  was  entirely  success- 
ful. An  order  from  the  commander-in-chief  determined  that  Dago- 
worthy was  entitled  to  the  rank  of  a  provincial  captain  only  and 
must  on  all  occasions  give  precedence  to  the  commander-in-chief  of 
the  Virginia  forces. 

This  vexed  question  finally  settled  to  his  satisfaction,  Washington 
returned  to  the  scene  of  his  duties  at  Winchester  in  the  latter  part  of 
March  and  found  things  even  more  serious,  if  possible,  than  before. 
Horrors  accumulated  throughout  the  whole  beautiful  land;  "every 
hour  brought  its  tale  of  consternation,  true  or  false,  of  houses  burned, 
families  massacred  or  beleaguered  and  famishing  in  stockade  forts.  " 
An  attack  on  Winchester  was  apprehended  and  the  terror  of  the  people 
arose  to  agony.  They  now  turned  to  Washington  as  their  main  hope. 
"  The  women  surrounded  him  holding  up  their  children  and  imploring 
him,  with  tears  and  cries,  to  save  them  from  the  savage.  "  It  was  an 
'  appalling  situation  for  the  young  commander  and  he  shrunk  in  mental 
agony,  strong  man  that  he  was,  from  the  afflictions  of  the  helpless 
people.     A  letter  to  Governor  Dinwiddie  discloses  his  feeling: 

I  am  too  little  acquainted  with  pathetic  language  to  attempt  a  description  of 
these  people's  distresses.  But  what  can  I  do?  I  see  their  situation;  I  know  their 
danger  and  participate  in  their  sufferings,  without  having  it  in  my  power  to  give 


64  WASHINGTON  THE   MAN   AND  THE   MASON. 

them  further  relief  than  uncertain  promises.  The  supplicating  tears  of  the  women 
and  moving  petitions  of  the  men,  melt  me  into  such  deadly  sorrow,  that  I  solemnly 
declare,  if  I  know  my  own  mind,  I  could  offer  myself  a  willing  sacrifice  to  the 
butchering  enemy  provided  that  would  contribute  to  the  people's  ease. 

So  great  was  his  concern  and  embarrassment  that  he  pubhcly 
declared  that  nothing  but  the  imminent  danger  of  the  time  prevented 
him  from  instantly  resigning  a  command  from  which  he  could  never 
reap  either  profit  or  honor.  This  declaration  brought  forth  earnest 
appeals  from  various  sections  of  the  colony.  "Your  good  health  and 
fortune  are  the  toasts  of  every  table,"  wrote  his  friend,  Colonel 
William  Fairfax,  at  that  time  a  member  of  the  governor's  council, 
"Your  endeavors  in  the  service  and  defence  of  your  country  must 
redound  to  your  honor."  "  Our  hopes,  dear  George,"  wrote  Mr.  Rob- 
inson, the  speaker  in  the  House  of  Burgesses,  "  are  all  fixed  on  you  for 
bringing  our  aff'airs  to  a  happy  issue.  Consider  what  fatal  conse- 
quences to  your  country  your  resigning  the  command  at  this  time  may 
be,  especially  as  there  is  no  doubt  most  of  the  officers  will  follow  your 
example." 

While  his  situation  was  desperate,  the  value  of  his  services  was 
now  thoroughly  understood  and  appreciated  by  the  public.  The  leg- 
islature, though  slow  and  timid,  at  last  began  to  act.  They  voted  an 
additional  appropriation  of  twenty  thousand  pounds  and  an  increase 
in  the  provincial  force  of  fifteen  hundred. 

Throughout  the  summer  of  1756  plans  for  the  frontier  defense 
were  diligently  prosecuted.  A  large  fortification  (christened  Fort 
Loudoun  in  honor  of  the  new  governor)  was  erected  in  the  village  of 
Winchester,  and  other  smaller  forts  along  the  border  were  strength- 
ened and  reinforced,  giving  a  measure  of  security  to  the  terrified 
people.  In  the  meantime,  the  British  army,  along  the  northern 
frontier,  had  suffered  numerous  defeats.  While  t!ie  English  com- 
manders had  wined  and  dined,  had  quibbled  and  debated  trivial 
affairs,  Field  Marshal  the  Marquis  de  Montcalm,  newly  arrived  from 
France,  had  acted.  "Quick  in  speech,  quicker  still  in  action,"  says 
Irving,  "he  comprehended  everything  at  a  glance  and  moved  with  a 
celerity  and  secrecy  that  completely  baffled  his  slow  and  pondering 
antagonist,  and  carried  consternation  to  the  heart  of  the  English 
camp."  During  the  period  of  these  reverses  of  the  English  arms  in 
the  northern  province,  the  Valley  of  Virginia  enjoyed  temporary 
relief  and  Washington  proposed,  as  the  most  effective  means  of  preven- 
ing  further  Indian  depredations  on  the  southern  border,  an  invasion  of 


DEFENCE   OF   VALLEY  AND   ENGAGEMENT  TO   MRS.  CUSTIS.         65 

their  own  territory  and  urged  an  immediate  attack  on  Fort  Duquesne, 
"which,"  said  he,  "is  the  key  to  the  whole  situation.  Capture  or 
destroy  this  stronghold  and  you  block  the  path  to  Indian  invasion." 

While  the  proposition  was  favorably  received,  the  execution  of 
his  plan  was  to  be  long  deferred  by  the  English  commander.  The 
weak  and  vacillating  course  of  Governor  Dinwiddle  was  also  a  source 
of  great  annoyance.  The  uncertainty  of  his  instructions  to  the 
commander-in-chief  when  called  upon  for  advice,  and  his  evident 
antipathy  for  the  young  soldier  since  the  rejection  of  his  favorite, 
Innes,  increased  the  difficulties  of  Washington's  situation  and  pro- 
duced a  mental  depression  which,  coupled  with  physical  maladies, 
threatened  to  effectively  undermine  his  robust  constitution  and  com- 
pel his  permanent  retirement  from  the  service.  Dr.  Craik,  the  army 
surgeon  and  his  intimate  friend,  foresaw  this  and  urged  an  immediate 
and  protracted  rest,  which  salutary  advice  Washington  accepted. 

He  relinquished  his  post  at  the  end  of  the  year  (1756)  and  with- 
drew indefinitely  to  Mount  Vernon.  "My  constitution,"  writes  he 
to  his  friend,  Colonel  Stanwix  (the  royal  officer  who  had  taken  com- 
mand of  the  forces  along  the  border  of  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland 
and  under  whom  Washington  was  to  serve  in  future),  "is  much 
impaired,  and  nothing  can  retrieve  it  but  the  greatest  care  and  the 
most  circumspect  course  of  life.  This  being  the  case,  as  I  have  no 
prospect  left  of  preferment  in  the  military  way  (he  had  desired  a 
commission  in  the  royal  army),  and  despair  of  rendering  that  imme- 
diate service  which  my  country  may  require  from  the  person  com- 
manding its  troops,  I  have  thoughts  of  quitting  my  command  and 
retiring  from  all  public  business,  leaving  my  post  to  be  filled  by  some 
other  person  more  capable  of  the  task,  and  who  may,  perhaps,  have 
his  endeavors  crowned  with  better  success  than  mine  have  been." 

The  spring,  however,  found  him  more  cheerful  and  much  improved 
in  health,  and  early  in  April  he  again  took  command  of  Fort  Loudoun. 
Conditions  in  the  meantime  had  also  assumed  a  more  favorable  aspect. 
Francis  Fauquier  had  been  appointed  successor  to  Dinwiddle,  and  Mr. 
John  Blair,  president  of  the  council  and  a  very  warm  friend  of  Wash- 
ington, was  the  acting  governor  pending  the  arrival  of  Fauquier. 
It  was  also  with  the  greatest  satisfaction  that  he  saw  his  plan,  an 
invasion  of  the  enemy's  country  and  the  reduction  of  Fort  Duquesne, 
adopted.  "This  method,"  said  he,  "will  strike  terror  to  the  heart  of 
the  red  man  and  be  a  more  effective  defence  than  all  the  fortifications 
and  troops  on  the  border." 


66  WASHINGTON    THE   MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

There  would  be  many  vexing  delays,  many  discouragements  and 
disappointments,  but  the  idea  for  which  he  had  contended  had  at  last 
been  approved  and  would  in  time  be  carried  into  effect.  Provincial 
recruits  now  began  to  assemble  at  Winchester  for  the  contemplated 
movement,  but  a  total  lack  of  supplies,  tents  and  field  equipments 
necessitated  a  trip  to  Williamsburg,  which  proved  to  be  in  one  par- 
ticular the  most  important  journey  of  Washington's  life. 

He  left  Winchester,  attended  only  by  the  faithful  Bishop,  who 
had  been  the  military  servant  of  the  late  General  Braddock  and  who 
was  now  and  would  continue  to  be  through  life  the  faithful  servitor 
and  devoted  attendant  of  Colonel  Washington.  Going  by  way  of  his 
mother's  home  on  the  Rappahannock  River,  opposite  the  town  of 
Fredericksburg,  he  was  detained  there  for  several  days  by  temporary 
illness,  in  consequence  of  which  he  did  not  resume  his  journey  until 
the  latter  part  of  the  month.  Passing  down  through  Spotsylvania, 
Caroline  and  King  William  counties,  doubtless  halting  now  and  then 
to  return  the  salutations  of  former  friends  of  whom  he  had  many 
along  this  old  highway,  he  arrived  at  the  ferry  crossing  of  the  Pa- 
munkey  River,  an  estuary  of  the  York,  on  the  25th  of  February. 
Here  he  accidentally  met  Major  Chamberlain,  a  neighboring  planter 
and  a  great  admirer  of  the  now  popular  hero.  Chamberlain  prevailed 
upon  the  young  colonel  to  accept  his  hospitahty  and  halt  long  enough 
for  dinner. 

Deep  sentiments  and  profound  affections  are  sometimes  born  in  a 
moment.  That  slumbering  fire,  which,  when  aroused,  leads  to  con- 
jugal bliss  or  the  opposite,  is  as  mysterious  in  its  origin  as  it  is  in  its 
operations.  The  young  soldier,  who  had  braved  the  dangers  of  the 
border  country  with  its  savage  foe,  did  not  realize  the  presence  of  that 
httle  despot,  Cupid,  who  could  bend  a  subtle  and  unseen  bow  mightier 
than  Achilles  himself  and  conquer  the  heart  of  oak  and  the  will  of 
iron,  to  which  in  future  years  the  mighty  legions  of  proud  old  Eng- 
land would  bow.  Washington  was  about  to  meet  his  Waterloo,  about 
to  yield  to  the  fascination  of  a  little  woman  in  the  wayside  home  of  his 
casual  host  who  would  be  the  gentle  partner  and  companion  of  his 
future  life,  for  among  the  guests  at  the  Chamberlain  House  was  Mrs. 
Martha  Dandridge  Custis,  daughter  of  Colonel  John  Dandridge  and 
widow  of  Colonel  Daniel  Parke  Custis. 

Colonel  Custis  had  died  suddenly  about  two  years  before  this 
meeting,  leaving  what  was  then  considered  an  independent  fortune  of 
over  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  which  his  young  widow  now  en- 


,^' 


v»<»**'js;  .  ■';.,.  ■'i:'i'^. 


,;,  _Y..^ 


:^. 


.#  <- 


CHAMBERLAIN  HuU.SE. 


^"^  ■'■■•=^.•;^ti^fc^U■a^S. 


b-T.  PETER'S  CHURCH. 


DEFENCE   OF   VALLEY  AND   ENGAGEMENT  TO   MRS.  CUSTIS.         67 

joyed  in  her  own  right  and  as  the  guardian  of  her  two  children,  John  and 
Martha  Parke  Custis.  Having  been  born  in  May,  1 732,  she  was  three 
months  younger  than  Colonel  Washington,  of  comely  person  and 
attractive  manner.  It  is  not  known  whether  Washington  enjoyed  a 
previous  acquaintance  with  Mrs.  Custis  or  not,  but,  nevertheless,  the 
attachment  appears  to  have  been  mutual  from  the  first  and  the  impres- 
sions then  formed,  the  affections  then  founded,  were  as  lasting  and 
sincere  as  surprisingly  sudden. 

Young  Washington  tarried  at  Major  Chamberlain's  over  night, 
resuming  his  journey  to  Williamsburg  on  the  following  morning.  He 
immediately  entered  into  negotiations  with  the  governor  and  council 
on  the  subject  of  his  mission. 

His  stay  in  the  colonial  capital  was  necessarily  brief,  during  which 
time,  however,  he  improved  the  opportunity  to  pay  several  visits  to 
the  attractive  widow,  whose  home  was  at  the  White  House  on  the 
Pamunkey  River  in  New  Kent  County,  not  far  from  Williamsburg. 
He  seems  to  have  been  as  ardent  a  wooer  as  he  was  an  energetic  soldier. 
" In  a  word, "  says  an  eminent  writer,  "before  finally  separating  they 
had  mutually  plighted  their  faith  and  the  marriage  was  to  take  place 
as  soon  as  the  campaign  against  Fort  Duquesne  was  at  an  end." 

After  obtaining  the  necessary  equipment  for  his  troops,  Wash- 
ington returned  to  his  command  to  renew  his  efforts  in  favor  of  an 
early  advance  on  the  fort. 

The  northern  campaign  dragged  slowly.  Inaction  was  a  striking 
characteristic  of  the  royal  commanders,  under  whom  the  Virginia  con- 
tingent had  now  been  placed.  The  provincial  troops  at  Winchester 
were  restless  and  impatient  at  the  long  and  tiresome  delay,  during 
which  the  young  colonel  made  it  convenient  to  pay  a  second  visit  to  his 
prospective  bride.  Starting  from  Fort  Loudoun  at  Winchester,  on 
this  trip.  May  24,  1758,  he  returned  to  his  command  on  the  13th  of 
June.  A  note  in  his  account  book,  dated  May  4,  or  twenty  days 
before,  suggests  the  object  of  the  journey — "Purchased  for  sixteen 
shillings,  one  ring."  It  is  reasonable  to  assume,  combining  the  cir- 
cumstance of  the  visit  with  the  date  of  the  purchase  of  the  ring,  that 
the  golden  trinket  was  to  be  the  seal  and  token  of  his  phghted  troth. 

We  can  imagine  the  relief  Washington  experienced,  after  waiting 
all  summer,  when  he  finally  received  orders  to  repair  to  Fort  Cumber- 
land (where  he  arrived  on  the  2nd  of  July),  the  first  step  in  the  tedious 
advance  toward  the  objective  point  on  the  Ohio.  Here,  too,  they 
halted  again  and  long  delays  followed  and  continued  to  foUow,  without 


68  WASHINGTON  THE   MAN   AND  THE   MASON. 

a  semblance  of  reason.  Nevertheless,  they  lingered  until  September, 
and  it  was  not  imtil  the  15th  of  November  that  the  united  forces  of 
Mar>'land,  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  assembled  at  a  point  called 
Loyal  Hannon,  about  fifty  miles  from  the  French  fort  in  the  forks 
of  the  Ohio. 

While  halting  at  Fort  Cumberland,  Washington  made  his  head- 
quarters in  the  old  building,  shown  in  the  cut,  and  it  was  in  this  house 
that  he  wrote  the  following  and  only  known  letter  to  his  fiancee : 

Cumberland,  July  29,  175S. 
We  have  begun  our  march  for  the  Ohio.  A  courier  is  starting  for  Williamsburg 
and  I  embrace  the  opportunity  to  send  a  few  words  to  one  whose  life  is  now  insepa- 
rable from  mine.  Since  that  happy  hour  when  we  made  our  pledge  to  each  other, 
my  thoughts  have  been  continually  going  to  you  as  to  another  self.  That  an  All 
Powerful  Providence  may  keep  us  both  in  safety  is  the  prayer  of  your  ever  faithful 
and  ever  affectionate  Friend, 

Geo.  Washington. 
To  Martha  Custis. 

Winter  was  now  at  hand  and  an  unbroken  forest  of  more  than 
fifty  miles  was  yet  to  be  traversed.  Notwithstanding  these  difficul- 
ties, with  Washington  and  his  Virginia  contingent  leading  the  way, 
the  combined  forces  pushed  forward  rapidly  through  the  wilderness 
and  on  the  25th  day  of  November,  heading  the  advance  guard,  he 
marched  in  and  planted  the  British  flag  on  the  yet  smoking  ruins  of 
Fort  Duquesne,  which  had  been  abandoned  by  the  French  in  their 
consternation  at  the  approach  of  the  combined  army,  without  firing  a 
gun  or  the  sacrifice  of  a  single  man.  The  ruins  of  the  fort  were  put  in 
a  defensible  condition  and  garrisoned  by  two  hundred  men  from 
Washington's  regiment,  and  its  name  changed  to  Fort  Pitt  in  honor  of 
the  British  minister,  whose  progressive  measures  had  given  hfe  to  the 
campaign  in  its  lagging  hours  and  made  possible  the  present  success. 
The  name  of  this  isolated  fortification,  modified  to  Pittsburg,  now 
designates  one  of  the  greatest  financial  and  industrial  centers  of 
America  and  possibly  of  the  world. 

The  reduction  of  Fort  Duquesne  and  the  successful  conclusion  of 
the  campaign  brought  also  to  a  conclusion,  at  least  for  the  time  being, 
the  military  career  of  Colonel  Washington.  His  great  object  had  been 
to  restore  peace  and  security  on  the  frontier  of  Virginia.  This  accom- 
plished, as  he  predicted  it  would  be,  in  the  capture  of  the  above  named 
stronghold,  in  the  following  month,  on  December  28,  1758,  he  resigned 
his  commission  as  commander-in-chief  of  the  Virginia  forces  and  grace- 


l^.v 


WASHINGTON'S  HEADQUARTERS  AT  WILL'S  CREEK,  NOW  CUMBERLAND,  MARYLAND. 


WASHINGTON'S  HEADQUARTERS  AT  WINCHESTER,  VA. 


DEFENCE  OF  VALLEY  AND  ENGAGEMENT  TO  MRS.  CUSTIS.    69 

fully  retired  from  the  service,  followed  by  the  affection  and  applause 
of  his  soldiers  and  the  gratitude  and  admiration  of  all  his  countrymen. 

Contemplating  retirement  from  military  service,  he  had  pre- 
viously proposed  himself  to  the  electors  of  Frederick  County  as  their 
representative  in  the  House  of  Burgesses.  The  election  took  place  at 
Winchester  while  he  and  his  troops  were  awaiting  orders  at  Cumber- 
land. Colonel  Boquet,  the  royal  oflficer  in  command,  gave  him  leave 
to  attend  the  election  but  he  declined  to  absent  himself  from  his  post 
of  duty  for  the  promotion  of  his  political  interests.  He  was  repre- 
sented by  Colonel  James  Wood  as  proxy  and  elected  by  a  large 
majority. 

Returning  to  his  seat  at  Mount  Vernon,  he  made  hasty  prepara- 
tions for  the  coming  nuptials,  which  were  to  take  place  on  the  6th  of 
January,  1759,  immediately  following  his  retirement  from  the  anny. 


WASHINGTON  THE  CIVILIAN 

[AJOR  LAWRENCE  WASHINGTON  died  at  Alount 
Vernon,  July  26,  1752,  and  on  the  i6th  of  the  follow- 
ing December,  his  widow,  Anne  Fairfax  Washington, 
married  Mr.  George  Lee.  In  less  than  a  year  after 
her  second  marriage,  Mrs.  Lee's  only  remaining  child 
by  her  first  husband  died,  and  in  consequence  of  the 
death  of  her  little  daughter,  Sarah,  and  the  purchase  of  her  dower 
rights,  Mount  Vernon  estate,  under  the  provision  of  Major  Lawrence's 
will,  reverted  "  in  fee  "  to  the  youthful  George,  who  was  then  adjutant- 
general  of  the  northern  district  of  Virginia.  His  military  engage- 
ments, during  this  period  and  for  several  years  after,  prevented 
personal  supervision  of  his  newly  acquired  property  and  necessitated 
the  employment  of  a  capable  and  trusty  manager.  Such  he  found  in 
the  person  of  his  own  brother,  John  Augustine. 

The  exact  date  of  the  beginning  or  ending  of  John  A.  Washington's 
residence  at  IMount  Vernon  is  not  positively  known,  but  he  was  cer- 
tainly there  in  July,  1754,  superintending  some  building  operations, 
and  on  April  14,  1756,  he  married  Miss  Hannah  Bushrod  and  took  his 
bride  there  to  Uve.  We  find  also  that  he  still  resided  there  as  late  as 
June,  1758,  but  between  that  time  and  August  24  of  the  same  year 
he  moved,  presumably,  to  his  residence,  "Bushfield,"  on  the  Potomac 
River  in  Westmoreland  County,  near  the  mouth  of  Nomini  Creek 
and  a  few  miles  below  Wakefield,  the  ancestral  home  of  his  family, 
which  was  at  that  time  owned  and  occupied  by  his  half-brother 
Augustine. 

It  was  dtu-ing  the  residence  of  John  Augustine  at  Mount  Vernon 
that  his  brother  George  informed  him  of  his  intention  to  bequeath 
him  that  estate,  in  the  event  of  his  (the  colonel's)  death  in  the  French 
War,  and  in  consideration  of  this  promise,  as  will  be  seen  in  Wash- 
ington's will,  Judge  Bushrod  Washington  (John  Augustine's  son)  did 
finally  inherit  the  mansion  and  four  thousand  acres  of  the  farm,  which 
in  the  meantime  had  been  enlarged  by  five  thousand  acres. 

There  seems  to  have  been  a  very  intimate  relation  existing 
between  these  two  brothers,  engendered  probably  by  long  association 
and  intercourse,  an  affection  which  continued  and  was  kept  alive 
by  constant  correspondence  during  the  life  of  the  younger  brother. 

7» 


72  WASHINGTON   THE)    MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

John  A.  Washington  appears  to  have  been  a  quiet,  dignified  man, 
without  poHtical  or  miHtar)'-  aspirations,  and  for  years  after  leaving 
Mount  Vernon  he  pursued  the  tranquil  vocation  of  a  well-to-do 
planter  on  his  farm  at  Nomini.  He  took  little  part  in  public  affairs 
until  just  before  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  when  he 
steps  forth  from  retirement,  becomes  sheriff  of  his  county  (Westmore- 
land), and  energetically  participates  in  the  military^  preparations  for 
the  defence  of  the  colony.  He  assisted  in  raising  and  equipping  a 
company  of  militia  in  his  county  and  accepted  a  command  in  the 
provincial  forces.  In  1776  he  was  elected  to  that  celebrated  con- 
vention which  declared  Virginia  an  independent  province,  establishing 
the  first  representative  constitutional  government  in  the  new  world, 
and  instructing  its  delegates  in  the  Continental  Congress  at  Phila- 
delphia to  propose  a  declaration  of  independence  for  the  united  col- 
onies of  America.  In  this  masterly  body,  during  the  most  important 
and  thrilling  epoch  in  Virginia's  history,  we  find  John  Augustine 
Washington  actively  engaged  as  a  legislator,  fearlessly  facing  with  his 
colleagues  the  dangers  of  royal  displeasure,  and  battling  in  the  council 
chambers  of  his  native  state  for  the  inherent  rights  of  all  the  colonies 
and  all  the  people.  In  this  he  was  emulating  and  upholding,  by  his 
fidelity  to  civil  trust,  the  heroic  example  of  his  distinguished  brother, 
then  commander-in-chief  of  the  colonic  1  forces  in  the  north. 

The  name  of  Washington  was  familiar  to  the  legislative  assembly 
of  the  Old  Dominion,  as  for  over  a  hundred  years,  without  inter- 
mission, a  member  of  that  family  had  represented  some  one  of  the 
several  counties  in  the  provincial  councils.  Beginning  with  John,  the 
Immigrant,  in  1664  or  1665,  followed  by  Lawrence,  the  son  of  John; 
then  Augustine,  the  son  of  Lawrence;  then  Lawrence  again,  the  son 
of  Augustine,  who  was  succeeded  by  his  brother  the  second  Augustine ; 
and  later  by  Colonel  George,  who,  when  appointed  to  the  Continental 
Congress,  left  his  brother,  John  Augustine,  recently  elected  from 
Westmoreland  to  keep  the  name  on  the  roster;  then  Bushrod,  the 
son  of  John  A.,  took  up  the  political  burdens  laid  down  by  his  father 
and  for  nearly  forty  years  faithfully  and  efficiently  performed 
important  public  duties. 

While  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  fame  of  one  member  of  the 
tamily  in  a  measure  overshadowed  the  rest  with  a  tendency  to  obscure 
their  merit,  the  continued  preference  for  these  men  by  their  several 
vicinages  is  conclusive  evidence  of  their  general  worth  and  profi- 
ciency and  entitles  them  all  to  a  respectable  place  in  the  chronicles  of 
the  Commonwealth. 


COLONEL  JOHN  AUGUSTLXE  WASHLXGTON. 


WASHINGTON  THE   CIVILIAN.  73 

The  retirement  of  John  A.  Washington  as  superintendent  of 
Mount  Vernon  in  the  latter  part  of  1758  left  the  estate  without  a 
suitable  manager.  It  was  not  for  a  protracted  period,  however,  as 
on  Saturday,  January  6,  1759,  the  popular  owner,  Colonel  George, 
married  Mrs.  Martha  Dandridge  Custis,  widow  of  Colonel  Daniel 
Parke  Custis  of  New  Kent  County,  Virginia,  and  shortly  afterwards, 
with  his  bride,  took  up  his  permanent  residence  at  their  beautiful 
seat  on  the  Potomac. 

There  is  no  positive  record  as  to  just  where  the  marriage  ceremony 
of  Colonel  Washington  and  the  widow  Custis  was  performed.  Some 
authorities  contend  that  the  WTiite  House  on  the  Pamunkey  River 
in  New  Kent  County,  the  home  of  the  bride,  was  the  place.  Others 
are  equally  certain  that  it  was  performed  at  St.  Peter's  Church,  a  few 
miles  distant  from  the  Custis  residence.  Among  those  who  believe 
the  "White  House  to  have  been  the  scene  of  the  nuptials  are  the 
Reverend  Bishop  William  Meade,  Washington  Irving,  and  the  Rev- 
erend E.  C.  McGuire,  the  latter  of  whom  married  the  granddaughter 
of  Washington's  sister  and  was  for  thirty-five  years  rector  of  St. 
George's  Parish  in  Fredericksburg. 

The  opinion  of  these  able  authorities  surely  gives  strength  to  the 
contention  in  favor  of  the  WTiite  House.  Certain  it  is  that  the 
Reverend  David  Alossom,  for  forty  years  the  rector  of  the  little  parish 
of  New  Kent,  officiated,  and  that  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Washington 
attended  religious  services  at  St.  Peter's  the  day  following  their 
marriage.     A  contemporary^  WTites: 

They  came  in  bridal  state,  coach  and  four  and  a  train  of  wedding  guests,  among 
whom  was  Speaker  John  Robinson  and  members  of  the  House  of  Burgesses.  At 
the  marriage  ceremony,  the  bride  was  attired  in  a  heavy  brocade  silk  interwoven 
with  silver  thread,  embroidered  satin  petticoat,  high  heeled  satin  shoes  with  buckles 
of  brilliants,  point  lace  and  rufiSes;  her  ornaments  were  a  pearl  necklace,  earrings 
and  bracelets.  The  bridegroom  appeared  in  citizen's  dress  of  blue  cloth;  the  coat 
embroidered  white  satin;  his  shoe  and  knee  buckles  were  of  gold;  his  hair  was 
powdered  and  at  his  side  hung  a  dress  sword. 

For  three  months  after  the  wedding.  Colonel  Washington  resided 
at  the  home  of  his  young  wife,  attending  regularly  the  sessions  of  the 
General  Assembly  at  Wilhamsburg,  to  which  he  had  been  elected 
just  previous  to  his  retirement  from  the  army  in  the  fall  of  1758. 
By  a  vote  of  that  body,  it  had  been  determined  to  greet  his  installa- 
tion by  a  signal  testimonial  of  respect.  Accordingly,  as  soon  as  he 
took  his  seat,  IMr.  Robinson,  the  Speaker,  in  eloquent  language,  dic- 
tated by  the  warmth  of  private  friendship,  returned  thanks  on  behalf 


74  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

of  the  colony  for  the  distinguished  mihtary  service  he  had  rendered 
his  country.  Washington  rose  to  reply,  blushed,  stammered,  trembled 
and  could  not  utter  a  word.  "Sit  down,  Mr.  Washington,"  said 
the  Speaker  with  a  smile,  "your  modesty  equals  your  valor  and  that 
surpasses  the  power  of  any  language  I  possess."  Such  was  Wash- 
ington's first  launch  into  civil  life,  in  which  he  was  to  be  distinguished 
by  the  same  judgment,  devotion,  courage  and  magnanimity  exhibited 
in  his  military  career.  After  the  close  of  the  session  of  the  House 
and  the  arrangement  of  his  wife's  affairs  in  New  Kent,  he  conducted 
his  bride  to  the  beautiful  scenes  and  happy  surroundings  of  Mount 
Vernon. 

Mrs.  Washington's  inheritance  from  her  first  husband  amounted 
to  thirty-five  thousand  pounds  sterling,  besides  large  landed  properties 
in  various  parts  of  the  colony.  One-third  of  this  she  received  in  her 
own  right;  the  other,  as  guardian  for  her  two  children,  a  boy  of  six 
and  a  girl  of  four  years  of  age.  By  an  order  of  court,  entered  soon 
after  the  marriage,  Colonel  Washington  was  entrusted  with  the 
care  of  the  property  inherited  by  the  children.  It  was  a  sacred 
and  delicate  trust  which  he  discharged  in  the  most  faithful  and 
judicious  manner,  becoming  more  Uke  a  parent  than  a  mere  guardian 
to  them. 

Released  from  the  cares  of  military  life  and  in  possession  now  of 
everything  that  could  make  his  life  agreeable,  he  settled  down  amid 
the  tranquil  surroundings  of  his  beloved  home  on  the  banks  of  the 
Potomac  to  enjoy  in  retirement  the  well  earned  repose  that  he  had 
longed  for  amid  the  vexations  and  trials  of  his  military  career.  "I 
am  now,"  wrote  he,  "I  believe,  fixed  in  this  seat  with  an  agreeable 
partner  for  life,  and  I  hope  to  find  more  happiness  in  retirement  than 
I  ever  experienced  in  the  wide  and  bustling  world." 

This  was  indeed  the  Utopian  period  of  Washington's  existence. 
Agriculture  appears  to  have  been  his  ideal  and  to  it  he  now  devoted 
his  attention  with  the  energy  and  zest  of  an  enthusiast.  Extending 
the  limits  of  his  liberal  inheritance  by  the  purchase  of  adjacent  lands, 
he  soon  became  one  of  the  most  progressive  planters  in  the  colony, 
introducing  advanced  methods  of  preparing  the  soil  and  taking  par- 
ticular care  in  the  selection  of  seed  for  planting  purposes.  Dividing 
his  farm  into  five  sections,  as  shown  on  the  accompanying  map,*  with 
a  capable  overseer  in  charge  of  each  section  and  with  convenient 
quarters  for  numerous  slaves,  which  he  apportioned  according  to  the 
number  of  acres  of  land  allotted  for  cultivation,  he  surrounded  each 

*See  opposite  page  177. 


WASHINGTON    THE    CIVILIAN.  75 

quarter  with  commodious  outbuildings  for  the  accommodation  of  his 
stock  and  the  storage  of  his  product.  Carefully  subdividing  each 
quarter  into  fields  of  a  given  number  of  acres,  he  held  his  foreman 
responsible  for  the  management  of  his  particular  charge  and  paid 
daily  visits  to  the  several  quarters  when  possible  to  do  so,  keeping  in 
close  and  intimate  contact  with  every-  phase  and  feature  of  his  numer- 
ous interests.  Indeed  he  made  agriculture  a  profession  and  reduced 
his  system  to  almost  an  exact  science. 

Stock-raising  appears  to  have  been  one  of  his  principal  hobbies. 
To  this  he  gave  special  attention  and  spared  no  expense  to  improve 
the  grades  of  his  horses  and  cattle.  He  gives  us  the  names  of  some  of 
his  choice  steeds — Magnolia  (an  Arab)  was  a  favorite,  as  were  Blue 
Skin,  Valiant,  and  Ajax. 

Mount  Vernon  estate  was  indented  by  several  estuaries  of  the 
Potomac  which  spread  out  into  marsh  lands,  affording  a  wide  range 
and  pasturage  for  hogs,  and  of  this  Washington  took  advantage.  On 
January  22,  1760,  he  notes,  "killed  seventeen  hogs,  which  weighed 
seventeen  hundred  and  twenty-two  pounds  net, "  and  on  the  7th  of 
February  following  he  killed  fourteen  more,  which  weighed  sixteen 
hundred  and  fourteen  pounds  net.  Another  entry  shows  the  aver- 
age annual  kill  amounted  to  about  two  hundred  and  fifty,  all  of 
which  were  raised,  as  he  states,  "at  httle  expense  in  the  marshes  and 
outlands." 

Horticulture  also  attracted  his  attention  even  at  that  early  day. 
We  find  that  he  transplanted  the  native  species  of  shrubs  and  trees  and 
experimented  in  grafting  and  propagating  plants  of  various  kinds, 
even  flowers.  He  also  endeavored  to  domesticate  foreign  fruit  trees, 
vines  and  shrubbery,  keeping  a  concise  record  of  the  result  of  his 
efforts. 

The  methodical  life  of  the  man  is  vividly  reflected  in  the  minute 
detail  of  his  carefully  kept  diary.  Indeed,  it  is  extremely  doubtful  if 
any  account  or  description  of  him  extant  so  fully  portrays  the  inner 
circle  of  his  existence  as  these  simple  notes.  The  most  trivial  occur- 
rences are  recorded  with  care  and  precision.  He  tells  of  the  weather; 
of  the  health  of  his  family;  of  his  visits  and  visitors;  of  his  fishing 
and  fowling  expeditions,  and  all  so  naturally  that  one  has  but  to  read 
these  consecutive  notes,  recorded  day  by  day,  to  mentally  follow  him 
through  the  changing  scenes  of  life. 

Mount  Vernon,  with  its  miles  of  waterfront,  was  one  continuous 
fishing  shore,  affording  not  only  a  pleasant  diversion  for  anglers  (of 


76  WASHINGTON   THB   MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

which  sport  Washington  himself  was  exceedingly  fond  and  in  which 
he  frequently  indulged),  but  an  important  and  profitable  industry 
during  the  spring  run  of  shad  and  herring,  while  his  and  other  neigh- 
boring woodlands,  extending  far  and  wide,  stretching  back  over  hill 
and  dale,  furnished  ample  cover  for  abundant  and  various  kinds  of 
game. 

He  had  traversed  these  woods  time  and  again  in  boyhood  days 
with  his  lordly  patron,  Fairfax,  and  now  in  the  peaceful  leisure  hours 
of  maturer  life,  surrounded  by  his  friends,  kindred  spirits,  fanner 
Washington  pursued  his  favorite  pastime  with  rod  and  gun  and 
hound  and  horn.  Truly  there  was  no  epoch  in  the  span  of  Washing- 
ton's existence  so  free  from  depressing  burdens  and  great  responsi- 
bilities as  this  particular  period.  It  was  verily  an  age  of  leisure  for 
him,  compared  with  other  days.  The  complete  systems  in  vogue  on 
his  several  plantations  shifted  a  great  deal  of  the  responsibility  to  his 
overseers  and  left  him  ample  opportunity  to  indulge  in  his  favorite 
amusements. 

William  Fairfax  and  Lawrence  Washington,  friends  and  bene- 
factors of  his  early  youth,  were  gone,  but  the  companion  of  his  first 
survey,  the  son  of  his  old-time  friend,  George  WiUiam,  was  still  his 
chum  and  neighbor,  and  now  and  then  the  Baron  came  down  from 
his  valley  court  to  follow  Vulcan,  Singer,  Ringwood,  Sweetlips, 
Forester,  Music  and  Rockwood  (his  thoroughbred  hounds)  in  the 
chase  of  sly  old  "Reynard"  tlirough  the  copse  of  "Muddy  Hole"  or 
Belvoir's  shady  fens.  In  the  deepening  twihght  he  would  gather 
around  the  glowing  embers  on  his  hearthstone  with  Craik  and  Mercer, 
Morgan  and  W'agener,  comrades  of  his  border  wars,  to  tell  again  the 
story  of  their  trials  and  their  trophies,  of  their  daring  and  their  dangers. 
So  the  time  went  on  and  for  over  a  decade  he  gave  himself  up  to 
domestic  pursuits,  to  the  enjoyments  of  domestic  life,  to  the  society 
of  his  neighbors,  to  the  agreeable  companionship  of  his  wife  and  her 
children.  This  was  the  life  he  wanted  to  lead,  the  fife  he  looked  and 
longed  for,  the  life  he  loved  the  best. 

The  war  with  France  was  drawing  to  a  close.  The  depressing 
shadows  of  the  American  Revolution  had  not  yet  dimmed  the  lustre 
of  colonial  prospects  nor  had  the  baneful  voice  of  English  avarice 
been  raised  to  stir  the  latent  fires  of  the  easy-going  provincial.  All 
nature  and  all  men  seemed  to  rejoice  and  smile  at  the  progress  and 
prosperity  of  the  English  dependencies  of  colonial  America,  and 
Washington,  in  his  pleasant  situation,  was  supremely  satisfied. 


WASHINGTON   THE    CIVILIAN.  77 

We  must  not  conclude,  however,  that  he  gave  himself  up  exclu- 
sively to  agricultural  pursuits  and  the  innocent  pastimes  enumerated. 
Circumstances  had  deprived  him  of  many  of  the  pleasures  and  enjoy- 
ments of  early  life,  the  enjoyments  that  youth  most  treasures  and 
appreciates,  and  in  his  changed  condition,  with  wealth  at  his  com- 
mand, he  was  indemnifying  the  past,  in  a  measure,  for  the  losses  and 
sacrifices  it  sustained. 

Compared  with  the  stupendous  duties  he  performed  in  after 
years,  the  public  service  he  rendered  and  the  positions  he  held  at 
this  particular  period  were  of  minor  consideration  and  importance. 
Reelected  to  the  House  of  Burgesses  from  Frederick  County  in  1761, 
he  was  regular  and  prompt  in  attendance  at  all  the  sessions  of  that 
body,  which,  as  that  was  a  time  of  comparative  peace  and  nothing 
of  an  extraordinary  character  demanded  the  attention  of  the  colonial 
council  or  the  exercise  of  unusual  vigilance,  was  more  of  a  social  than 
a  legislative  assembly. 

"  He  was  an  early  riser,  often  before  daybreak  in  the  winter  when 
the  nights  were  long.  On  such  occasions  he  lit  his  own  fire  and  wrote 
or  read  by  candle-light.  He  breakfasted  at  seven  in  summer,  at  eight 
in  winter.  Two  small  cups  of  tea  and  three  or  four  cakes  of  Indian 
meal  (called  hoe  cakes)  formed  his  frugal  repast.  Immediately  after 
breakfast  he  mounted  his  horse  and  visited  those  parts  of  the  estate 
where  any  work  was  going  on,"  seeing  to  everj'thing  with  his  own 
eyes,  and  often  "  aiding  with  his  own  hands. ' '  On  numerous  occasions 
we  find  him  assisting  in  manual  labor,  experimenting  with  a  patent 
stump-puller;  laying  out  worm  fences;  trimming  trees,  and  on  one 
occasion  he  assists  his  blacksmith,  Peter,  for  nearly  two  days  making 
a  plough  on  a  new  invention  of  his  own,  "which,"  he  reports,  "he 
accomplished  after  several  failures."  He  was  a  dexterous  rider  and 
an  admirable  horseman.  Though  he  never  claimed  the  merit  of  being 
an  expert  fox-hunter,  yet  he  appears  to  have  been  passionately  fond 
of  the  sport  and  in  the  height  of  the  season  went  out  three  or  four 
times  a  week.  In  this,  however,  he  was  not  an  exception  to  the  rule. 
His  neighbors  kept  weU-fiUed  kennels  and  hunting  parties  were  fre- 
quently given,  in  which  the  whole  community  seemed  to  join.  We 
find  the  McCartys,  Paynes,  Colonel  Grayson,  the  Fairfaxes  and  even 
the  Reverend  Mr.  Massey  joining  in  these  excursions.  On  November 
22,  1763,  he  notes,  "hunting  with  Lord  Fairfax,  his  brother  and 
Colonel  Fairfax."  On  November  25,  "  Mr.  Bryan  Fairfax,  Mr.  Gray- 
son and  Phil  Alexander  came  here  by  sunrise — hunted  and  catched  a 


78  WASHINGTON  THE   MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

fox  with  these."  "Lord  Fairfax,  his  brother  and  Colonel  Fairfax — 
all  of  whom  with  Mr.  Fairfax,  his  brother  and  Mr.  Wilson  of  England, 
dined  here."  26th  and  29th — "Hunted  again  with  the  same  com- 
pany." December  5 — "Fox  hunting  with  Lord  Fairfax  and  his 
brother  and  Colonel  Fairfax;  started  a  fox  and  lost  it — dined  at 
Belvoir  and  returned  in  the  evening." 

Alount  \^emon  was  seldom  without  a  guest,  and  those  who  came 
usually  stayed  over  night  and  frequently  for  several  days.  The 
colonel  and  his  good  lady  were  equally  sociable  with  their  near  neigh- 
bors, dining  and  supping  with  the  Ramsays,  Masons,  Johnstons, 
McCartys,  Fairfaxes  and  others.  They  occasionally  paid  extended 
visits  to  Annapolis  and  participated  in  the  round  of  festivities  there 
during  the  meeting  of  the  ]Mar}'land  Assembly.  Now  and  then  we 
find  them  in  Fredericksburg,  visiting  his  sister  and  mother  and  the 
Fitzhughs  and  others  nearby.  Indeed,  scattered  all  the  way  along 
from  Mount  Vernon  to  Williamsburg  and  beyond,  this  well-known 
and  popular  couple  had  a  host  of  friends  on  whom  they  dehghted  to 
call  whenever  the  occasion  permitted. 

Washington  was  very  fond  of  dancing,  which  was  not  infrequently 
a  feature  of  the  social  gatherings  of  the  country  folk  in  that  day.  The 
old  Virginia  reel  and  minuet,  popular  figures  of  the  time,  possessed 
an  unusual  charm  for  him  and,  as  we  shall  see  later,  it  was  a  source 
of  regret  to  them  both  when  advanced  age  prevented  this  innocent 
enjoyment. 

These  informal  interchanges  and  simple  social  customs  were  dear 
to  the  Virginia  planter's  heart.  He  asked  no  better  condition  in  life 
than  to  be  allowed  to  pursue,  unmolested,  the  even  tenor  of  his  way. 
With  his  lady  and  his  friends,  with  his  books  and  his  horses  and  his 
hounds,  he  Uved  in  a  healthy  atmosphere  and  enjoyed  a  moral  envi- 
ronment so  pure,  elevated  and  noble  that  even  in  this  day,  to  those 
who  study  his  habits,  he  becomes  a  creature  of  romance  and  the  ideal 
of  perfect  manhood.  He  was  not  averse  to  a  species  of  ostentation. 
His  lady  dressed  in  the  finest  silks  and  wore  the  most  costly  jewels. 
When  he  traveled,  he  rode  in  his  coach  and  four  and  had  his  outriders 
in  livery.  This  sort  of  innocent  pomp  he  had  inherited  from  the 
motherland,  but  beneath  the  tinsel  was  a  heart  of  oak,  an  independent 
spirit,  which  resented  with  stem  and  vindictive  courage  an  infringe- 
ment of  what  he  considered  his  inherent,  chartered  rights  as  a  free 
American. 

With  all  his  love  for  luxury  and  ease,  he  was  not  an  indolent 


WASHINGTON   THE   CIVILIAN.  79 

creature,  nor  would  he  stand  supinely  by  and  yield  to  any  man  or  set 
of  men  an  atom  of  that  Uberty  or  an  element  of  those  rights  which 
he  esteemed  his  richest  dower.  It  was  his  cherished  hope  to  trans- 
mit this  legacy,  as  he  enjoyed  it,  perfect  and  complete,  to  his  posterity, 
to  be  handed  down  from  generation  to  generation. 

Such  was  the  manner  of  men  who  lived  along  the  banks  of  the 
rivers  of  the  Old  Dominion  and  back  among  the  foot-hills  of  her 
mountains,  and  over  in  her  valleys  beyond.  They  were  tillers  of  the 
soil;  feeders  of  flocks ;  a  peaceful,  God-fearing  citizenship;  gentle  and 
kind  and  hospitable  when  left  alone,  but  stem  and  relentless  when 
aroused.  He  was  different  from  his  northern  neighbor  in  social  cus- 
tom, style  of  dress  and  mode  of  life;  for  he  was  essentially  a  planter 
and  generally  on  an  extensive  scale,  while  his  New  England  brother 
had  turned  to  commerce  as  a  more  profitable  pursuit.  The  soil  of 
Virginia  was  rich  and  productive ;  that  of  the  north  was  far  less  suit- 
able for  agriculture.  The  Pilgrim  Fathers  had  been  driven  from  their 
mother  country  by  religious  persecution  while  the  Cavaliers  of  Virginia 
had  flown  from  political  reverses  and  oppression,  yet  there  was  a 
kindred  spirit  and  both  elements  had  scattered  along  the  coast  from 
Georgia  to  Massachusetts  Bay,  creating  a  common  tie  and  a  mutual 
sympathy  that  would  shortly  bind  them,  after  years  of  suffering  and 
sacrifices,  in  a  political  union  the  like  of  which  had  never  been 
contemplated. 

As  early  as  1760,  the  British  Parliament  evinced  a  disposition  to 
collect  duties  on  foreign  sugar  and  molasses  imported  in  the  colonies. 
This  was  regarded  as  an  onerous  tax,  an  infringement  upon  the  rights 
of  American  freedom.  The  question  was  taken  to  the  civil  courts  in 
Massachusetts,  and  the  cause  of  the  colonies  ably  and  eloquently 
defended  by  that  heroic  patriot,  James  Otis.  Indeed,  so  vigorous 
was  Mr.  Otis  in  his  denunciation  of  the  poUcies  of  England  that 
"all  his  hearers  went  away  ready  to  take  up  arms  against  writs  of 
assistance."  "Then  and  there,"  says  John  Adams,  who  was  present, 
"was  the  first  scene  of  opposition  to  the  arbitrary  claims  of  Great 
Britain.     Then  and  there  American  independence  was  born." 

There  was  nothing  to  which  the  jealous  sensibihties  of  the  colonies 
were  more  ahve  than  to  any  attempt  of  the  mother  country  to  draw 
a  revenue  from  them  by  taxation.  From  the  earliest  period  of  their 
existence  they  had  maintained  the  principle  that  they  could  only  be 
taxed  by  a  legislature  in  which  they  were  represented.  Sir  Robert 
Walpole,  a  wise  and  discreet  man,  when  at  the  head  of  the  British 


8o  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND    THE    MASON. 

Government,  was  aware  of  this  sensibility  on  the  part  of  the  colonies 
and  declared,  when  approached  on  the  subject,  that  it  must  be  a 
bolder  man  than  himself  and  one  less  friendly  to  commerce  to  venture 
on  such  an  expedient.  For  his  part,  he  would  encourage  the  trade 
of  the  colonies  to  the  utmost.  One-half  of  the  profits  would  be  sure 
to  come  into  the  exchequer  through  the  increased  demands  of  British 
manufacturers.  "This,"  he  said  sagaciously,  "is  taxing  them  more 
agreeably  to  their  own  constitution  and  laws." 

Had  Sir  George  Greenville  (at  the  head  of  the  government  in 
1764)  and  his  successors  profited  by  an  adherence  to  the  wise  policies 
of  Walpole,  America,  in  all  human  probability,  would  to-day  be  an 
English  province  instead  of  an  independent  world  power.  But  such 
was  not  to  be.  Greenville,  "great  in  daring  and  little  in  views," 
says  Horace  Walpole,  "  was  charmed  to  have  an  untrodden  field  before 
him  of  calculation  and  experiment." 

In  March,  1765,  the  iniquitous  Stamp  Act  was  passed,  according 
to  which  all  instruments  in  writing  were  to  be  executed  on  stamped 
paper,  to  be  purchased  from  the  agents  of  the  British  Government. 
And,  worse  still,  all  offences  against  the  act  could  be  tried  in  any 
royal,  maritime  or  admiralty  court  throughout  the  colonies,  however 
distant  from  the  place  where  the  offence  had  been  committed,  thus 
virtually  abolishing  that  most  inestimable  right  of  a  trial  by  jury. 

Up  to  that  time,  New  England  had  been  most  affected  by  the 
policies  of  the  British  Parliament.  In  consequence  of  this  she  had 
taken  the  lead  and  so  it  was  an  ominous  sign  that  the  first  burst  of 
opposition  to  this  particular  measure  should  take  place  in  Virginia, 
which  had  hitherto  remained  passive.  "  The  Virginians,"  says  Irving, 
"are  of  a  quick  and  generous  spirit,  readily  aroused  on  all  points  of 
honorable  pride,  and  they  resented  the  Stamp  Act  as  an  outrage  on 
their  rights." 

Washington  occupied  his  seat  in  the  House  of  Burgesses  when 
(on  the  29th  of  May)  the  Stamp  Act  became  a  subject  of  discussion. 
He  had  taken  little  part  in  the  proceedings  relating  to  the  subject 
before  this  time,  hoping,  no  doubt,  for  a  satisfactory  adjustment  of 
the  disagreeable  situation.  But,  if  such  were  his  thoughts  and  desires, 
he  was  soon  to  be  subjected  to  a  sad  awakening.  Sitting  in  this 
assembly  for  the  first  time  was  a  young  and  obscure  barrister  from 
Hanover  County,  Patrick  Henry,  whose  fame  till  then  had  been  con- 
fined to  his  native  province  and  almost  to  his  native  county.  Only 
one  effort  had  brought  him  above  the  horizon  of  local  obscurity — 


^ft^t^^trd.  t^LfMrrt/^^  W'-'-'-ifa^   /t-^^  a-  /rrt-a-r7 hj'-'"' t/e^ ie-niy  A>  ^s^^Aay  ^T-t/tLfji. 


WASHINGTON   THE   CIVILIAN.  8 1 

he  had  pleaded  against  the  exercise  of  royal  prerogatives  in  church 
matters  and,  by  the  boldness  of  his  utterances  in  this  case,  had 
attracted  local  attention.  Before  the  sun  went  down  on  this  eventful 
day,  however,  his  voice  rang  out  in  clarion  notes  to  stimulate  the 
courage  of  faltering  America. 

Rising  in  his  place,  he  introduced  his  celebrated  Resolutions* 
(which  we  reproduce),  declaring  that  the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia 
had  the  exclusive  right  to  levy  taxes  and  impositions  upon  the  inhabi- 
tants and  that  whoever  maintained  to  the  contrary  should  be  deemed 
an  enemy  to  the  colony. 

The  Speaker,  JSIr.  Robinson,  objected  to  the  Resolutions  as  inflam- 
matory. Henry  defended  them,  as  justified  by  the  nature  of  the  case. 
Had  a  bolt  from  Heaven  descended  to  electrify  the  assemblage,  it 
would  not  have  produced  greater  consternation.  Mr.  Jeflferson,  an 
eyewitness,  in  the  following  language  has  aptly  described  the  scene : 

By  these  resolutions,  and  his  manner  of  supporting  them  Mr.  Henry  took  the 
lead  out  of  the  hands  of  those  who  had,  heretofore,  guided  the  proceedings  of  the 
House,  that  is  to  say,  of  Pendleton,  Wy-the,  Bland,  and  Randolph.  It  was  indeed 
the  measure  which  raised  him  to  the  zenith  of  his  glory.  He  had  never  before  had 
a  subject  which  entirely  matched  his  genius,  and  was  capable  of  drawing  out  all 
the  powers  of  his  mind.  It  was  remarked  of  him  throughout  his  life,  that  his 
talents  never  failed  to  rise  with  the  occasion,  and  in  proportion  with  the  resistance 
which  he  had  to  encounter.  The  nicety  of  the  vote  on  his  last  resolution,  proves 
that  this  was  not  a  time  to  hold  in  reserve  any  part  of  his  forces.     It  was  an  Alpine 

*After  the  death  of  Mr.  Henry,  there  was  found  among  his  papers  one  sealed  and  thus 
endorsed:  "Inclosed  are  the  resolutions  of  the  Virginia  Assembly  in  1765,  concerning  Stamp 
Act.  Let  my  executors  open  this  paper."  Within  was  found  the  copy  of  the  Resolutions  pro- 
duced, in  Mr.  Henry's  handwriting,  with  the  following  endorsement  which  is  also  in  Mr.  Henry's 
handwriting — "The  within  resolutions  passed  the  House  of  Burgesses  in  May,  1765.  They  formed 
the  first  opposition  to  the  Stamp  Act,  and  the  scheme  of  taxing  America  by  the  British  Parliament. 
All  the  colonies,  either  through  fear  or  want  of  opportunity  to  form  an  opposition,  or  from  influence 
of  some  kind  or  other,  had  remained  silent.  I  had  been  for  the  first  time  elected  a  burgess  a  few 
days  before,  was  young,  inexperienced,  unacquainted  with  the  forms  of  the  House,  and  the  members 
that  composed  it.  Finding  the  men  of  weight  averse  to  opposition,  and  the  commencement  of  the 
tax  at  hand,  and  that  no  person  was  hkely  to  step  forth,  I  determined  to  venture,  and  alone,  unad- 
vised and  unassisted,  on  a  blank  leaf  of  an  old  law  book  wrote  the  within.  Upon  offering  them  to 
the  House,  violent  debates  ensued.  Many  threats  were  uttered,  and  much  abuse  cast  on  me,  by 
the  party  for  submission.  After  a  long  and  warm  contest,  the  resolutions  passed  by  a  very  small 
majority,  perhaps  of  one  or  two  only.  The  alarm  spread  throughout  America  with  astonishing 
quickness,  and  the  ministerial  party  was  overwhelmed.  The  great  point  of  resistance  to  British 
taxation  was  universally  established  in  the  colonies.  This  brought  on  the  war  which  finally  sepa- 
rated the  two  countries,  and  gave  independence  to  ours.  Whether  this  will  prove  a  blessing  or  a 
curse,  will  depend  upon  the  use  our  people  make  of  the  blessings  which  a  gracious  God  hath  bestowed 
on  us.  If  they  are  wise,  they  will  be  great  and  happy.  If  they  are  of  a  contrary  character,  they 
will  be  miserable.  Righteousness  alone  can  exalt  them  as  a  nation.  Reader,  whoever  thou  art 
remember  this;  and  in  thy  sphere  practise  virtue  itself,  and  encourage  it  in  others." 


82  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

passage,  under  circumstances  even  more  unpropitious  than  those  of  Hannibal;  for 
he  had  not  only  to  fight,  hand  to  hand,  the  powerful  party  who  were  already  in 
possession  of  the  heights  but,  at  the  same  instant,  to  cheer  and  animate  the  timid 
band  of  followers,  that  were  trembling,  fainting,  and  drawing  back,  below  him. 
It  was  an  occasion  that  called  forth  all  his  strength,  and  he  did  put  it  forth  in  such 
a  manner  as  man  never  did  before.  The  cords  of  argument  with  which  his  adver- 
saries frequently  flattered  themselves  they  had  bound  him  fast,  became  packthreads 
in  his  hands.  He  burst  them  with  as  much  ease  as  the  unshorn  Samson  did  the 
bands  of  the  Phillistines.  He  seized  the  pillars  of  the  temple,  shook  them  terribly, 
and  seemed  to  threaten  his  opponents  with  ruin.  It  was  an  incessant  storm  of 
lightning  and  thunder,  which  struck  them  aghast.  The  faint  hearted  gathered 
coiuage  from  his  countenance,  and  cowards  became  heroes  while  they  gazed  upon 
his  exploits. 

It  was  in  the  midst  of  this  magnificent  debate,  while  he  was  descanting  on  the 
tyranny  of  the  obnoxious  Act,  that  he  exclaimed,  in  a  voice  of  thunder  and  with  the 
look  of  a  god,  "Caesar  had  his  Brutus — Charles  the  First,  his  Cromwell — and 
George  the  Third" — "Treason,"  cried  the  Speaker — "treason,  treason,"  echoed 
from  every  part  of  the  House.  It  was  one  of  those  trj-ing  moments  which  is 
decisive  of  character.  Henry  faltered  not  an  instant;  but,  rising  to  loftier  attitude 
and  fixing  on  the  Speaker  an  eye  of  the  most  determined  fire,  he  finished  his  sentence 
with  the  firmest  emphasis — "may  profit  by  their  example.  If  this  be  treason, 
make  the  most  of  it." 

Washington  had  the  good  fortune  to  witness  the  splendid  and 
momentous  debate  which  followed  the  moving  of  these  resolutions. 
His  position  as  a  wealthy  planter  would  naturally  have  led  him  to 
take  part  with  the  aristocratic  and  loyal  party  who  opposed  them, 
but  his  habits  and  character  were  such  as  to  produce  an  earnest  sym- 
pathy with  the  people.  Like  Henr}^,  he  was  bom  a  patriot,  and 
like  him  he  was  also  what  is  called  a  self-made  man.  His  opinions  on 
the  Stamp  Act  are  expressed  without  reserve  in  his  correspondence; 
and  though  no  record  of  his  vote  on  this  occasion  is  preserved,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  it  was  cast  on  the  popular  side.  We  may, 
therefore,  easily  imagine  what  his  feelings  must  have  been  in  witness- 
ing this  unusual  scene. 

The  original  Resolutions  of  Mr.  Henr}'-  as  published  here  were 
slightly  modified  to  accommodate  Speaker  Robinson  and  the  more 
conservative  members,  "but  even  in  their  modified  form,"  says  a 
correspondent  of  the  ministry,  "they  gave  the  signal  for  a  general 
outcry  over  the  continent  and  the  mover  and  supporters  of  them  were 
applauded  as  the  protectors  and  asserters  of  American  liberty." 

Immediately  after  the  passage  of  the  resolve,  Lieutenant  Gover- 
nor Fauguier  dissolved  the   Assembly  and  issued  writs  for  a  new 


WASHINGTON   THE   CIVILIAN.  83 

election.  But  this  was  only  a  fruitless  opposition  to  the  popular  will, 
which  was  bearing  down  all  before  it.  In  point  of  fact  "the  minds 
of  the  Americans  underwent  a  total  transformation.  Instead  of  their 
late  peaceful  and  steady  attachment  to  the  British  nation,  they  were 
daily  advancing  to  the  opposite  extreme."  While  these  eventful 
scenes  were  transpiring  in  America,  the  colonies,  notwithstanding  the 
passage  of  the  Stamp  Act,  had  some  able  defenders  in  the  British 
Parhament;  among  them  was  Lord  Camden  in  the  House  of  Peers 
and  Mr.  Pitt  in  the  House  of  Commons. 

"My  position  is  this,"  said  Camden,  in  one  of  his  ablest  efforts, 
before  the  House  of  Lords,  "I  repeat  it,  I  will  maintain  it  until  my 
last  hour:  Taxation  and  representation  are  inseparable.  This  posi- 
tion is  founded  on  the  laws  of  nature.  It  is  more,  it  is  itself  an  eternal 
law  of  nature,  for  whatever  is  a  man's  own,  is  absolutely  his  own. 
No  man  has  a  right  to  take  it  from  him  without  his  consent.  Who- 
ever attempts  to  do  it,  attempts  an  injury;  whoever  does  it,  commits 
robbery." 

Mr.  Pitt,  with  equal  boldness,  justified  the  colonists  and  defended 
them  in  their  position.  "You  have  no  right, "said  he,  "  to  tax  America. 
I  rejoice  that  America  has  resisted.  Three  millions  of  our  fellow- 
subjects,  so  lost  to  every  sense  of  virtue  as  tamely  to  give  up  their 
liberties,  would  be  fit  instruments  to  make  slaves  of  the  rest."  He 
closed  with  an  urgent  appeal  for  the  absolute,  total  and  immediate 
repeal  of  the  act.  "At  the  same  time,"  said  he,  "let  the  sovereign 
authorities  of  this  country'  over  the  colonies  be  asserted  in  as  strong 
terms  as  can  be  devised  that  we  may  bind  their  trade,  confine  their 
manufactures  and  exercise  every  power,  except  that  of  taking  their 
money  out  of  their  pockets  without  their  consent." 

The  strong  opposition  to  the  enforcement  of  this  iniquitous 
measure  by  these  two  eminent  English  statesmen  and  their  urgent 
demands  for  the  instant  repeal  of  the  bill  were  a  source  of  great  satis- 
faction to  the  colonies  and  encouraged  the  hope  of  a  speedy  repeal 
of  the  objectionable  measure.  The  dismissal  of  Greenville  from  the 
cabinet  also  gave  a  favorable  change  to  the  gloomy  situation,  but 
perhaps  no  influence  brought  to  bear,  in  favor  of  the  colonies,  proved 
more  effective  than  an  examination  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Franklin  before 
the  House  of  Commons,  on  the  subject  of  the  act.     He  was  asked: 

"What  was  the  temper  of  America  towards  Great  Britain  before  the  year  1763?" 

"The  best  in  the  world.     They  submitted  wUlingly  to  the  government  of  the 

crown,  and  paid,  in  all  their  courts,  obedience  to  the  acts  of  Parliament.     Numerous 


84  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

as  the  people  are  in  the  several  old  provinces,  they  cost  you  nothing  in  forts,  citadels, 
garrisons,  or  armies,  to  keep  them  in  subjection.  They  were  governed  by  this 
country  at  the  expense  only  of  a  httle  ink  and  paper.  They  were  led  by  a  thread. 
They  had  not  only  a  respect,  but  an  affection  for  Great  Britain,  for  its  laws,  its 
customs,  and  manners,  and  even  a  fondness  for  its  fashions,  that  greatly  increased 
the  commerce.  Natives  of  Great  Britain  were  always  treated  with  particular 
regard;  to  be  an  old-England  man  was,  of  itself,  a  character  of  some  respect,  and 
gave  a  kind  of  rank  among  us." 

"And  what  is  their  temper  now?" 

"Oh,  very  much  altered." 

"If  the  act  is  not  repealed,  what  do  you  think  will  be  the  consequences?" 

"A  total  loss  of  the  respect  and  affection  the  people  of  America  bear  to  this 
country,  and  of  all  the  commerce  that  depends  on  that  respect  and  affection." 

"Do  you  think  the  people  of  America  would  submit  to  pay  the  stamp  duty  if 
it  was  moderated?" 

"No,  ne'uer,  ixnless  compelled  by  force  of  arms." 

Such  was  the  opinion  of  this  wise,  poHtical  philosopher;  an 
opinion  which  subsequent  events  verified  and  confirmed  in  every 
particular. 

Washington  returned  to  ISIount  Vernon  full  of  anxiety  and  g^ave 
forebodings.  From  his  quiet  seat  on  the  Potomac,  he  seemed  to  hear 
the  ringing  voice  of  Patrick  Henrj^  echoing  throughout  the  land.  ^  He 
realized  fully  the  seriousness  of  the  situation  and  deplored  the  action 
of  the  English  Government,  for  which  he  had  a  strong  and  enduring 
attachment.  He  had  recently  written  letters  describing  the  state  of 
peaceful  tranquilhty  in  which  he  was  living,  but  after  the  exciting 
scene  at  the  convention  there  was  a  perceptible  change,  showing 
conclusively  that  he,  in  a  measure  at  least,  participated  in  the  popu- 
lar feeling  and  resentment  to  the  acts  of  Parliament. 

In  a  communication  on  the  subject  addressed  to  his  wife's  uncle, 
Francis  Dandridge,  then  in  London  (November,  1765),  he  said — 

The  stamp  act  engrosses  the  conversation  of  the  speculative  part  of  the  colonies, 
who  look  upon  this  unconstitutional  method  of  taxation  as  a  direful  attack  upon 
their  liberties  and  loudly  exclaim  against  the  \aolation.  \Miat  may  be  the  result 
of  this,  and  of  some  other  (I  think  I  may  add  ill-judged)  measure,  I  will  not  under- 
take to  determine;  but  this  I  may  venture  to  affirm,  that  the  advantage  accruing 
to  the  mother  country  will  fall  greatly  short  of  the  expectations  of  the  ministry, 
for  certain  it  is,  that  our  whole  substance  already  in  a  manner  flows  to  Great 
Britain,  and  that  whatsoever  contributes  to  lessen  our  importations  must  be  hurtful 
to  her  manufactures.  The  eyes  of  our  people  already  begin  to  be  opened;  and 
they  will  perceive,  that  many  luxuries,  for  which  we  lavish  our  substance  in  Great 
Britain,  can  well  be  dispensed  with.     This  consequently  will  introduce  frugality, 


RICHARD  HENRY  LEE. 


WASHINGTON   THE    CIVH^IAN.  85 

and  be  a  necessary  incitement  to  industry.  .  .  .  As  to  the  stamp  act,  regarded 
in  a  single  view,  one  of  the  first  bad  consequences  attending  it  is  that  our  courts  of 
judicature  must  inevitably  be  shut  up;  for  it  is  impossible,  or  next  to  impossible, 
under  our  present  circumstances,  that  the  act  of  Parliament  can  be  complied  with, 
were  we  ever  so  willing  to  enforce  its  execution.  And  not  to  say  (which  alone  would 
be  sufficient)  that  we  have  not  money  enough  to  pay  for  the  stamps,  there  are 
many  other  cogent  reasons  which  prove  that  it  would  be  ineffectual. 

In  other  letters  he  expressed  similar  sentiments  but,  as  a  rule, 
notwithstanding  these  occasional  forebodings,  he  was  cheerful  and  full 
of  hope  for  the  future.  He  had  not  despaired  of  England  finally 
yielding  to  the  supplication  of  the  colonies.  Their  cause,  said  he, 
was  so  just;  their  demands  so  reasonable,  that  he  could  not,  in  the 
nature  of  the  circumstances,  believe  that  the  mother  country  would 
persist  in  such  an  unreasonable  and  iniquitous  policy. 

Removed  from  the  center  of  heated  discussions  and  debates  in 
the  cities  and  towns,  he  appears  not  to  have  appreciated  the  full 
extent  of  the  agitation  or,  if  he  did,  to  have  attributed  it  to  temporary 
resentment  or  undue  apprehension  which,  in  course  of  time,  would 
pass  away.  He  was,  however,  probably  aware  of  the  action  of  his 
friends  in  Westmoreland  County,  Virginia,  who,  inspired  by  the  bold 
stand  of  Patrick  Henry  and  led  on  by  that  equally  fearless  and  able 
patriot,  Richard  Henry  Lee,  had  assembled  in  Leedstown  on  the  27th 
day  of  February,  1766,  formed  a  patriotic  association,  and  drafted 
resolutions  vindictively  protesting  against  the  acts  of  Parliament; 
solemnly  pledging  their  lives  and  fortunes  to  resist  to  the  utmost  any 
effort  to  enforce  the  odious  stamp  measure.  Indeed,  the  declarations 
and  articles  of  agreement  of  this  association  (which  we  publish  in 
full),  written  more  than  ten  years  before  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, were  undoubtedly  the  first  organized  attempt  on  the  part 
of  any  community  to  prevent  the  enforcement  and  operation  of  this 
royal  measure  in  the  colonies.  With  its  bold  warnings  and  threats 
of  dire  consequences  to  offenders,  it  suggests  the  true  spirit  of  the 
modern  vigilance  committee,  and  constitutes  the  most  remarkable 
defiance  of  royal  authority  of  that  most  remarkable  period. 

WESTMORELAND  RESOLVES. 

Leedstown,  on  the  27th  day  of  February,  1766: 

Roused  by  danger,  and  alarmed  at  attempts,  foreign  and  domestic,  to  reduce 
the  people  of  this  country  to  a  state  of  abject  and  detestable  slavery,  by  destroying 
that  free  and  happy  constitution  of  government,  under  which  they  have  hitherto 
lived,  We,  who  subscribe  this  paper,  have  associated,  and  do  bind  ourselves  to  each 


86  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

other,  to  God,  and  to  our  country,  by  the  firmest  ties  that  religion  and  virtue  can 
frame,  most  sacredly  and  punctually  to  stand  by,  and  with  our  lives  and  fortunes, 
to  support,  maintain,  and  defend  each  other  in  the  observance  and  execution  of 
these  following  articles. 

First.  We  declare  all  due  allegiance  and  obedience  to  oiu-  lawful  Sovereign, 
George  the  third  King  of  Great  Britain,  And  we  determine  to  the  utmost  of  our 
power  to  preserve  the  laws,  the  peace  and  good  order  of  this  Colony,  as  far  as  is 
consistent  with  the  preser\'ation  of  our  Constitutional  rights  and  liberty. 

Secondly.  As  we  know  it  to  be  the  Birthright  privilege  of  every  British  sub- 
ject (and  of  the  people  of  Virginia  as  being  such)  founded  on  Reason,  Law,  and 
Compact;  that  he  cannot  be  legally  tried,  but  by  his  peers;  and  that  he  cannot 
be  taxed,  but  by  consent  of  a  Parliament,  in  which  he  is  represented  by  persons 
chosen  by  the  people,  and  who  themselves  pay  a  part  of  the  tax  they  impose  on 
others.  If  therefore,  any  person  or  persons  shall  attempt,  by  any  action  or  pro- 
ceeding, to  deprive  this  colony  of  those  fundamental  rights,  we  will  immediately 
regard  him  or  them,  as  the  most  dangerous  enemy  of  the  community;  and  we  will 
go  to  any  extremity,  not  only  to  prevent  the  success  of  such  attempts,  but  to 
stigmatize  and  punish  the  offender. 

Thirdly.  As  the  Stamp  Act  does  not  absolutely  direct  the  property  of  the 
people  to  be  taken  from  them  without  their  consent  expressed  by  their  representa- 
tives, and  as  in  many  cases  it  deprives  the  British  American  subject  of  his  right  to 
trial  by  jury;  we  do  determine,  at  every  hazard,  and,  paying  no  regard  to  danger 
or  to  death,  we  will  exert  every  faculty,  to  prevent  the  execution  of  the  said 
Stamp  Act  in  any  instance  whatsoever  within  this  colony.  And  every  abandoned 
wretch,  who  shall  be  so  lost  to  virtue  and  public  good,  as  wickedly  to  contribute 
to  the  introduction  or  fixture  of  the  Stamp  Act  in  this  colony,  by  using  stampt 
paper,  or  by  any  other  means,  we  will,  with  the  utmost  expedition,  convince  all 
such  profligates  that  immediate  danger  and  disgrace  shall  attend  their  prostitute 
purpose. 

Fourthly.  That  the  last  article  may  most  surely  and  effectually  be  executed, 
we  engage  to  each  other,  that  whenever  it  shall  be  known  to  any  in  this  association, 
that  any  person  is  so  conducting  himself  as  to  favor  the  introduction  of  the  Stamp 
Act,  that  immediate  notice  shall  be  given  to  as  many  of  the  association  as  possible; 
and  that  every  individual  so  informed,  shall,  with  expedition,  repair  to  a  place  of 
meeting  to  be  appointed  as  near  the  scene  of  action  as  may  be. 

Fifthly.  Each  associator  shall  do  his  true  endeavor  to  obtain  as  many  signers 
to  this  association  as  he  possibly  can. 

Sixthly.  If  any  attempt  shall  be  made  on  the  liberty  or  property  of  any 
association  for  any  action  or  thing  to  be  done  in  consequence  of  this  agreement, 
we  do  most  solemnly  bind  ourselves  by  the  sacred  engagements  above  entered  into, 
at  the  utmost  risk  of  our  lives  and  fortunes,  to  restore  such  associate  to  his  liberty, 
to  protect  him  in  the  enjoyment  of  his  property. 

In  testimony  of  the  good  faith  with  which  we  resolve  to  execute  this  association 
we  have  this  27th  day  of  February  1766,  in  Virginia,  put  our  hands  and  seals  hereto. 

Richard  Henry  Lee,  Richard  Buckner,  W.  Roane, 

Samuel  Washington,  John  Berryman,  John  Suggett, 

Moore  Fauntleroy,  John  Williams,  John  Beale,  Jr., 


WASHINGTON  THE   CIVILIAN. 


87 


Spencer  M.  Ball, 
Francis  Thornton,  Jr., 
Meriwether  Smith, 
Jas.  Edmonson, 
Willm.  Grayson, 
William  Sydnor, 
John  Ballandine,  Jr., 
Alvin  Moxley, 
Winder  S.  Kenner, 
John  Blackwell, 
Wm.  Bronaugh, 
Daniel  McCarty, 
Edwd.  Ransdell, 
Francis  Foushee, 
John  Smith,  Jr., 
Reuben  Meriwether, 
Wm.  J.  Mountjoy, 
John  Mountjoy, 
Laur  Washington, 
Thompson  Mason, 
John  Edmonston,  Jr., 
John  S.  Woodcock, 
Edgcomb  Suggett, 
John  Bland,  Jr., 
Ebenezer  Fisher, 
Thos.  Douglas, 
Will.  Robinson, 
Charles  Washington, 
Francis  Lightfoot  Lee, 
Richard  Mitchell, 
Wm.  Brockenbrough. 
John  Edmondson, 
Jas.  Webb,  Jr., 
William  Cocke, 
Francis  Waring, 


Geo.  Turberville, 
John  Dickson, 
Edward  Sanford, 
Townsend  Dade, 
John  Ashton, 
Jos.  Blackwell, 
Edw.  Mountjoy, 
Thos.  Mountjoy, 
Gilbt.  Campbell, 
A.  Montague, 
John  Augt.  Washington, 
Robt.  Wormley  Carter, 
Thos.  Belfield, 
Henry  Francks, 
Jas.  Emerson, 
Hancock  Eustace, 
IVIax  Robinson, 
Lewis  Willis, 
Rodham  Kenner, 
Richd.  Parker, 
Spence  Monroe, 
Charles  Weeks, 
William  Booth, 
Joseph  Murdock, 
Saml.  Selden, 
Peter  Rust, 
John  Upshaw, 
Smith  Young, 
William  Lee, 
Jos.  Pierce, 
Wm.  Pierce, 
Charles  Chilton, 
Edwd.  Sanford, 
W.  Brent, 
Thos.  Barnes, 


Jos.  Lane, 
Will  Beale,  Jr., 
John  Newton, 
Charles  Beale, 
Peter  Grant, 
Thos.  Logan, 
John  Richards, 
John  Orr, 
Thos.  Lud  Lee, 
Thomas  Jones, 
John  Watts, 
Robt.  Lovell, 
John  Blagge, 
John  Monroe, 
Richd.  Lee, 
Daniel  Tibbs, 
John  Lee,  Jr., 
Thos.  Roane, 
Jas.  Banks, 
Wm.  Flood, 
Will  ChUton, 
Thos.  Chilton, 
John  Broome, 
Jer.  Sush, 
Wm.  Ball, 
Jas.  Upshaw, 
Rich.  Hodges, 
Jas.  Booker, 
Richd.  Heffries, 
Chs.  Mortimer, 
Jona  Beckwith, 
Jas.  Sanford, 
John  Belfield, 
Jo.  Milliken, 
Thos.  Jett. 


Written  by  Richard  Henry  Lee,  a  warm  personal  friend  of  Gen- 
eral Washington,  and  signed  by  all  of  his  brothers  tben  living,  namely, 
Charles,  Samuel,  and  John  Augustine,  as  well  as  many  other  near 
relatives  and  intimate  associates,  their  action  must  have  been  a 
source  of  deep  interest,  if  not  concern,  to  the  future  commander-in- 
chief,  and  we  can  well  imagine  that  few  men  in  America  felt  greater 
relief  or  more  unfeigned  satisfaction  than  he  at  the  news  of  the  repeal, 
on  the  i8th  of  March,  1766  (about  three  weeks  after  the  Westmore- 
land compact),  of  the  odious  measiu-e,  which  had  wrought  the  popu- 
lace to  such  a  high  state  of  excitement. 


88  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN   AND  THE   JMASON. 

The  repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act  would  have  allayed  all  animosities 
and  restored  confidence  again  but  for  an  insidious  declaration  injected 
into  the  repealing  measure,  which  provided  that  the  king,  with  the 
consent  of  ParHament,  ''had  power  and  authority  to  make  laws  and 
statutes  of  sufficient  force  and  vahdity  to  bind  the  people  of  America 
in  all  cases  whatsoever."  This  qualifying  clause  aroused  grave  suspi- 
cion and  created,  if  possible,  even  more  general  discontent  than  the 
bill  itself.  Other  obnoxious  acts  of  Parhament  following  in  rapid 
succession,  imposing  duty  on  glass,  pasteboard,  white  and  red  lead, 
painters'  colors  and  tea,  to  be  collected  on  the  arrival  of  tlie  articles 
in  the  colonies,  further  stimulated  and  intensified  public  resentment. 
During  this  agitation  and  excitement  in  the  north  and,  indeed, 
throughout  all  the  provinces,  Washington  continued  to  pursue  his 
peaceful  and  uneventful  hfe  at  Mount  Vernon,  and  it  was  not  until 
the  latter  part  of  1768  that  he  assumed  the  aggressive  and  joined  in 
the  opposition  to  England's  pernicious  policies.  Previous  to  tliis  time 
the  merchants  and  importers  of  New  England  and  New  York  had 
agreed  to  suspend  for  a  while  the  importation  of  all  articles  subject 
to  English  taxation. 

Philadelphia  had  also  joined  the  association  and  Washington, 
on  the  5th  of  April,  1769,  in  a  letter  to  his  friend,  George  Mason, 
gave  this  poUcy  the  stamp  of  his  approval  and  boldly  asserted  his  posi- 
tion. He  had  hoped  against  hope  that  some  circumstance  would 
arise  to  furnish  a  favorable  and  satisfactory  adjustment  of  the  whole 
misunderstanding,  but  seeing  none,  and  reahzing  that  the  time  for 
positive  action  had  arrived,  with  characteristic  firmness  he  took  up 
the  cudgel  and  begun  his  war  on  the  pohcies  of  the  mother  country 
by  a  process  of  exclusion  and  elimination. 

Mount  Vernon,  5th  of  April,  1769. 

Dear  Sir  :  Herewith  you  will  receive  a  letter  and  sundry  papers  (containing 
resolves  of  the  merchants  of  Philadelphia,  respecting  the  non-importation  of  articles 
of  British  manufacture)  which  were  forwarded  to  me  a  day  or  two  ago  by  Dr.  Ross 
of  Bladensburg.  I  transmit  them  with  the  greater  pleastire,  as  my  own  desire  of 
knowing  your  sentiments  upon  a  matter  of  this  importance  exactly  coincides  with 
the  doctor's  inclination. 

At  a  time  when  our  lordly  masters  in  Great  Britain  vnil  be  satisfied  with 
nothing  less  than  the  deprivation  of  American  freedom,  it  seems  highly  necessary 
that  something  should  be  done  to  avert  the  stroke,  and  maintain  the  liberty,  which 
we  have  derived  from  our  ancestors.  But  the  manner  of  doing  it,  to  answer  the 
purposes  effectually,  is  the  point  in  question.  That  no  man  should  scruple  or 
hesitate  a  moment,  to  use  arms  in  defence  of  so  valuable  a  blessing,  is  clearly  my 


WASHINGTON   THE   CIVILIAN.  89 

opinion.  Yet  arms,  I  would  beg  leave  to  add,  should  be  the  last  resource,  the  dernier 
resort.  We  have  akeady,  it  is  said,  proved  the  inefEcacy  of  addresses  to  the  throne, 
and  remonstrances  to  Parliament.  How  far,  then,  their  attention  to  our  rights 
and  privileges  is  to  be  awakened  or  alarmed  by  starving  their  trade  and  manu- 
factures, remains  to  be  tried. 

The  northern  colonies,  it  appears,  are  endeavoring  to  adopt  this  scheme.  In 
my  opinion  it  is  a  good  one  and  must  be  attended  with  salutary  effects,  pro\aded 
it  can  be  carried  generally  into  execution.  But  to  what  extent  it  is  practicable  to 
do  so,  I  will  not  take  upon  me  to  determine.  That  there  will  be  a  difficulty  attend- 
ing the  execution  of  it  everywhere,  from  clashing  interests  and  selfish  designing 
men,  ever  attentive  to  their  own  gain,  and  watchful  of  every  turn,  that  can  assist 
their  lucrative  views,  cannot  be  denied;  and  in  the  tobacco  colonies,  where  the 
trade  is  so  diffused,  and  in  a  manner  wholly  conducted  by  factors  for  their  principals 
at  home,  these  difficulties  are  certainly  enhanced,  but  I  think  not  insurmountably 
increased  if  the  gentlemen  in  their  several  counties  will  be  at  some  pains  to  explain 
matters  to  the  people,  and  stimulate  them  to  cordial  agreements  to  purchase  none 
but  certain  enumerated  articles  out  of  any  of  the  stores  after  a  definite  period,  and 
neither  import  nor  purchase  any  themselves.  This,  if  it  should  not  effectually 
withdraw  the  factors  from  their  importations,  would  at  least  make  them  extremely 
cautious  in  doing  it,  as  the  prohibited  goods  could  be  vended  to  none  but  the  non- 
associators,  or  those  who  would  pay  no  regard  to  their  association;  both  of  whom 
ought  to  be  stigmatized,  and  made  the  objects  of  public  reproach. 

The  more  I  consider  a  scheme  of  this  sort,  the  more  ardently  I  wish  success 
to  it,  because  I  think  there  are  private  as  well  as  public  advantages  to  result  from 
it — the  former  certain,  however  precarious  the  other  may  prove.  In  respect  to 
the  latter,  I  have  always  thought  that  by  virtue  of  the  same  power,  which  assumes 
the  right  of  taxation,  the  Parliament  may  attempt  at  least  to  restrain  our  manu- 
factures, especially  those  of  a  public  nature,  the  same  equity  and  justice  prevailing 
in  the  one  case  as  the  other,  it  being  no  greater  hardship  to  forbid  my  manufactur- 
ing, than  it  is  to  order  me  to  buy  goods  loaded  with  duties,  for  the  express  purpose 
of  raising  a  revenue.  But  as  a  measure  of  this  sort  would  be  an  additional  exertion 
of  arbitrary  power,  we  cannot  be  placed  in  a  worse  condition,  I  think,  by  putting 
it  to  the  test. 

On  the  one  hand,  that  the  colonies  are  considerably  indebted  to  Great  Britain, 
is  a  truth  universally  acknowledged.  That  many  families  are  reduced  almost,  if 
not  quite,  to  penury  and  want  by  the  low  ebb  of  their  fortunes,  and  that  estates 
are  daily  selling  for  the  discharge  of  debts,  the  pubHc  papers  furnish  too  many 
melancholy  proofs.  That  a  scheme  of  this  sort  will  contribute  more  effectually 
than  any  other  that  can  be  devised  to  extricate  the  country  from  the  distress  it 
at  present  labours  under,  I  most  firmly  believe,  if  it  can  be  generally  adopted.  And 
I  can  see  but  one  class  of  people,  the  merchants  excepted,  who  will  not  or  ought 
not,  to  wish  well  to  the  scheme — namely,  they  who  live  genteelly  and  hospitably 
on  clear  estates.  Such  as  these,  were  they  not  to  consider  the  valuable  object  in 
view,  and  the  good  of  others,  might  think  it  hard  to  be  curtailed  in  their  living 
and  enjoyments. 

Upon  the  whole,  therefore,  I  think  the  scheme  a  good  one,  and  that  it  ought 


90  WASHINGTON   THB    MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

to  be  tried  here,  with  such  alterations  as  our  circumstances  render  absolutely 
necessary.  But  in  what  manner  to  begin  the  work  is  a  matter  worthy  of  consid- 
eration. Whether  it  can  be  attempted  with  propriety  or  efficacy,  further  than  a 
communication  of  sentiments  to  one  another,  before  May,  when  the  Court  and 
Assembly  will  meet  at  Williamsburg,  and  a  uniform  plan  can  be  concerted,  and 
sent  into  the  different  counties  to  operate  at  the  same  time  and  in  the  same  manner 
everywhere,  is  a  thing  upon  which  I  am  somewhat  in  doubt,  and  I  should  be  glad 
to  know  your  opinion. 

I  am,  &c., 

George  Washington. 
To  Col.  George  Mason. 

It  will  be  observed  that  in  referring  to  the  classes  affected, 
Washington  mentions  "they  who  live  genteelly  and  hospitably  on 
fair  estates" — to  this  class  he  himself  belonged.  Indeed,  he  might 
justly  be  considered  among  the  most  affluent,  and  his  readiness  to 
make  the  sacrifice  required  indicates  a  spirit  of  deep  and  firm  resent- 
ment. "I  think  the  scheme  a  good  one,"  added  he,  "and  that  it 
ought  to  be  tried  here  with  such  alterations  as  our  circumstances 
render  absolutely  necessary — but  in  what  manner?" 

George  Mason,  to  whom  this  letter  had  been  addressed,  was  his 
intimate  friend  and  near  neighbor  (see  illustrated  map).  Like  Wash- 
ington, he  was  a  rich  and  extensive  planter;  like  him  also,  he  was  a 
quiet,  unobtrusive,  determined  man,  whose  star  was  yet  to  rise,  whose 
fame  was  yet  to  come.  He  evaded  public  life,  preferring  the  seclu- 
sion of  his  country  home  and  the  quiet  of  his  family  circle  to  the  most 
important  public  trust;  nevertheless  within  his  bosom  burned  the 
fires  of  latent  genius  which  would  in  after  years  exalt  the  name  of 
his  native  state  and  adorn  her  history  by  the  glory  of  its  achieve- 
ments in  her  councils.  He  and  his  neighbor,  Washington,  had  many 
kindred  tastes ;  they  were  fond  of  books  and  horses ;  were  inveterate 
fox-hunters  and  farmers  of  the  first  order;  made  agriculture  a  busi- 
ness, and  a  profitable  one,  but,  above  all,  they  were  patriots  and 
time  would  prove  their  merits. 

Mason's  reply  to  Washington's  letter  is  characteristic: 

I  entirely  agree  with  you,  that  no  regular  plan  of  the  sort  proposed  can  be 
entered  into  here,  before  the  meeting  of  the  General  Court  at  least,  if  not  of  the 
Assembly.  In  the  meantime  it  may  be  necessary  to  publish  something  preparatory 
to  it  in  our  gazettes,  to  warn  the  people  of  the  impending  danger  and  induce  them 
the  more  readily  and  cheerfully  to  concur  in  the  proposed  measures  to  avert  it; 
and  something  of  this  sort  I  had  begun  but  am  unluckily  stopped  by  a  disorder, 
which  affects  my  head  and  eyes.     As  soon  as  I  am  able  I  shall  resume  it  and  then 


;; 


ILLUSTRATED  MAP  OF  SECTION  OP  FAIRFAX  COUNTY.  VIRGINIA.  SHOWING  MT.  VERNON  AND  ITS  ENVIRONMENTS 


Key  to  iiliutretcd  map  which  shows  location  of  the  homes  of  Washin^on's  neigh- 
bors and  brother  vestrymen  in  Truro  Parish,  as  well  as  the  location  of  impor- 
tant places  in  the  vicinity  of  Mount  Vernon,  giving  old  colonial  roads. 
No.     1.     Arlington  House — Home  of  G.  W.  P.  Custis  and  Robert  E.  Lee. 
No.     2.     Episcopal  Theological  Seminary — Alma  Mater  of  Rev.  Phillips  Brooks, 

Bishops  Randolph,  Potter  and  others. 
No.    3.     Falls  Church — George  Washington  and  George  William  Fairfax  on 

Building  Committee. 
No.     4.     Fairfax  Court  House — Id  the  Clerk's  OEGce  of  which  Washington's 

Will  is  kept. 
No,    5.     Payne's  Church — Erected  by  the  vestrymen  of  Truro  Parish.  George 

Washington  and  George  Mason  on  Building  Committee. 
No.    6.    Abingdon — Mrs.  Washington's  son,  John  Custis. 
No.    7.    Rose  Hill — Daniel  French,  member  of  Truro  Vestry  with  Washington. 

Bmlder  of  Pohick  Church. 
No.    8.    Bell  Vale — George  Johnston.  Attorney  for  Truro  Parish,  who,  as  a 

member  of  the  House  of  Burgesses,  moved  the  adoption  of  Patrick 

Henry's  resolution  on  the  Stamp  Act. 


No. 

9. 

No. 

10 

No. 

11 

No. 

12 

No. 

U 

No. 

14 

No. 

IS 

No. 

16 

No. 

17 

No. 

18 

Hayfield — Lund  Washington,  vestryman  in  Truro  and  custodian  of 

Mount  Vernon  during  the  Revolution. 
Round    Hill — William    Triple tt,   vestryman    in   Truro    Parish    with 

Washington, 
Ncwington — Truro  Parish  Glebe  House,  but  never  used  as  such. 
Woodlawn  Mansion — La«Tence  Lewis  and  wife.  Nellie  (nee  Custis.) 
Washington's  Mill — Last  place  visited  by  the  General  before  death. 
Mount  Vernon — Home  of  Washington. 
Belvoir — William  and  George  William  Fairfan,  vestrymen  in  Truro, 

the  latter  with  Washington. 
Cedar  Grove — Daniel  McCarty.  vestryman  in  Truro  with  Washington. 
LaGrangc — Robert  Boggess.  vestryman  in  Truro  with  Washington. 
Pohick  Church — Erected  by  plans  drawn  by  Washington,  who,  with 

George  Mason,  George  William  Fairfax  and  others,  formed  Building 

Committee. 
Major  Peter  Wagner — Comrade  in  arms  in   Braddock's  Campaign 

and  member  of  Truro  Vestry  with  Washington. 


No.  20.     Alexander  Henderson — On  committee  to  settle  boundan-  line  between 

Maryland  and  Virginia;  member  of  Truro  Vestry  witn  Washington, 
No.  21.     Bell  Air— Tomb  of  Colonel  William  Grayson,  aide-de-camp  to  General 

Wa*Jiington -,  one  of  the  first  Senators  from  Virginia  and  Attorney 

for  Truro  Parish. 
No.  22.     Rippon  Lodge — Colonel  Thomas  Blackburn,  whose  daughter.  Anne. 

married  Judge  Bushrod  Washington. 
No.  23.     HoUin   Hall— Thomas  Mason,  son  of  Colonel   George  of  Gunston; 

compatriot  of  Washington. 
No.  24,     Humphrey  Peake — Washington's  nearest  neighbor. 
No.  25.     Washington— Tobias  Lear.  Washington's  secretary 
No.  26.     Gunston  Hall — Colonel  George  Mason. 
No.  27.     Mount  Eagle — Rev.  Brvan,  Eighth  Lord  Fairfax;  where  Washington 

paid  his  last  social  call. 
No.  28,     West  Grove— Colonel  John  West,  vestryman  in  Truro, 
No,  29.     Reverend  Lee  Masscy,  Washington's  revered  pastor. 
No.  30.     Belmont — Edward  Washington,  vestryman  in  Truro,  couiin  of  the 

General. 
No.  31.     Springfield— Martin  Cockbuna,  vestryman  in  Truro. 


"i 


c 


WASHINGTON   THE!   CIVILIAN.  91 

write  you  more  fully,  or  endeavour  to  see  you.  In  the  meantime  pray  commit  to 
writing  such  hints  as  may  occur. 

Our  all  is  at  stake,  and  the  little  convenience  and  comforts  of  life,  when  set 
in  competition  without  liberty,  ought  to  be  rejected,  not  with  reluctance,  but  with 
pleasure.  Yet  it  is  plain,  that  in  the  tobacco  colonies  we  cannot  at  present  confine 
our  importations  within  such  narrow  bounds,  as  the  northern  colonies.  A  plan  of 
this  kind  to  be  practicable,  must  be  adopted  to  our  circumstances;  for  if  not 
steadily  executed,  it  had  better  have  remained  unattempted.  We  may  retrench 
all  manner  of  superfluities,  finery  of  all  descriptions,  and  confine  ourselves  to  linens, 
woolens,  &c.,  not  exceeding  a  certain  price.  It  is  amazing  how  much  this  practice, 
if  adopted  in  all  the  colonies,  would  lessen  the  American  imports,  and  distress  the 
various  trades  and  manufactures  in  Great  Britain. 

This  would  waken  their  attention.  They  would  see,  they  would  feel,  the 
oppressions  we  groan  under,  and  exert  themselves  to  prociue  us  redress.  This 
once  obtained,  we  should  no  longer  discontinue  our  importations,  confining  our- 
selves still  not  to  import  any  article  that  should  hereafter  be  taxed  by  act  of  Parlia- 
ment for  raising  a  revenue  in  America;  for,  however  singular  I  may  be  in  my 
opinion,  I  am  thoroughly  convinced  that  justice  and  harmony  happily  restored, 
it  is  not  the  interest  of  these  colonies  to  refuse  British  manufactures.  Our  supply- 
ing our  mother  country  with  gross  materials  and  taking  her  manufactures  in  return 
is  the  true  chain  of  connexion  between  us.  These  are  the  bands,  which,  if  not 
broken  by  oppression,  must  long  hold  us  together  by  maintaining  a  constant 
reciprocation  of  interest.  Proper  caution  should  therefore  be  used  in  drawing  up 
the  proposed  plan  of  association. 

Had  the  hint  which  I  have  given  with  regard  to  taxation  of  goods  imported 
into  America,  been  thought  of  by  our  merchants  before  the  repeal  of  the  Stamp 
Act,  the  late  American  revenue  acts  would  probably  never  have  been  attempted. 

Frequent  interviews  between  the  two  friends  followed  this  corre- 
spondence, which  resulted  in  Mason  preparing  the  celebrated  Virginia 
Non-Importation  Resolutions.  These  were  introduced  in  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  at  the  ensuing  session  by  Washington  and  formed  the 
ground  work  for  an  instrument,  signed  by  all  the  members  present, 
pledging  themselves  to  neither  import  nor  use  any  goods,  merchandise 
or  manufactures  taxed  by  Parliament  to  raise  a  revenue  in  America. 
This  instrument  was  circulated  throughout  the  country  for  signa- 
tures, and  the  scheme  of  non-importation,  hitherto  confined  to  a  few- 
northern  colonies,  was  soon  universally  adopted. 

While  Washington  had  been  regular  in  his  attendance  at  the 
sessions  of  the  General  Assembly,  aside  from  a  few  minor  comments 
and  an  occasional  letter  on  the  subject,  he  had  taken  little  active 
part  in  the  general  agitation.  As  this  letter  to  Mason  constitutes 
his  first  determined  step  in  opposition  to  the  objectionable  measures 
of  ParUament,  we  quote  it  extensively.     His  allusion  in  the  letter  to 


92  WASHINGTON   THE   IMAN   AND  THE   MASON. 

England  as  the  mother  country  indicates  that  the  "cord  that  bound" 
was  not  yet  broken,  while  the  suggestion  of  a  resort  to  arms  is  ominous 
and  proves  conclusively  his  firm  resolve.  Nevertheless  he  continues, 
like  Mason,  his  simple  rural  occupation — continues  to  sow  and  to 
reap.  Devoting  a  portion  of  his  time  to  local  affairs  of  a  public 
nature,  he  serves,  with  Mason,  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
or  Town  Council  of  Alexandria,  and  is  particularly  active  in  practical 
church  work.  He  was  a  vestryman  at  different  times  in  two  parishes, 
Fairfax  and  Truro,  in  which  were  four  churches. 

The  parochial  church  of  Fairfax  Parish  was  located  in  Alexandria, 
seven  miles  distant  from  Mount  Vernon  on  the  north,  while  that  of 
Truro  (Pohick)  was  an  equal  distance  on  the  opposite  side  of  his 
residence. 

Of  the  latter  church,  his  father  had  been  a  member  of  the  vestry 
and  his  brother,  Lawrence,  a  prominent  layman  years  before,  as  had 
been  his  old-time  friend,  William  Fairfax.  On  October  25,  1762,  he 
also  was  elected  a  member  of  this  body  which  was  then  and  continued 
to  be,  for  at  least  two  decades,  comprised  of  some  of  the  most  influen- 
tial and  distinguished  citizens  of  the  Commonwealth  who  deserve  to 
be  briefly  mentioned  in  the  capacity  of  church-workers,  as  well  as 
for  the  conspicuous  part  they  played  in  public  affairs.  We  will  find 
among  this  rural  and  then  obscure  vestry  not  only  the  future  military 
chieftain  in  the  great  struggle  for  American  independence,  but  those 
to  whom  that  chieftain  sometimes  turned  in  after  years  for  counsel 
and  support — those  whom  he  trusted  and  in  whom  he  confided. 
Some  of  them  had  been  his  childhood  friends,  others  his  comrades 
in  arms,  and  all  were  then  his  zealous  collaborators  in  church  and 
charity  work,  and  we  will  see  how  true  they  were  as  years  go  by,  in 
the  darkest  hours  of  the  nation's  trouble,  and  how  great  they  grew 
to  be  in  the  eyes  of  a  wondering  world. 

The  original  church  building  in  Truro  in  which  Washington's 
father  and  brother  had  worshipped,  a  temporary  frame  structure  at 
best,  was  now  falling  into  decay  and  unfit  for  public  uses;  besides,  it 
was  located  near  the  southern  boundary  of  the  parish  and  by  no  means 
in  the  center  of  the  parochial  population.  The  rapidly  increasing 
membership  necessitated  the  enlargement  of  the  old  or  the  erection 
of  a  new  and  more  spacious  building  to  meet  the  demands  of  the 
congregation.  The  question  of  convenient  location  seems  to  have 
aroused  considerable  contention  and  debate,  Mr.  Mason  contending 
for  the  original  site,  while  Colonel  Washington  desired  a  more  central 


Z 

o 

< 


> 

Q 
2 
< 

o 

o 
o 


WASHINGTON   THE    CIVILIAN.  93 

location.  To  settle  this  Colonel  Washington  made  a  careful  survey  of 
the  surrounding  country,  and  from  the  data  and  plats  he  submitted 
the  vestry  formed  its  conclusions  and  wisely  selected  a  beautiful  site 
on  an  elevated  plain  at  Pohick. 

Gunston  Hall,  the  home  of  Mason,  was  five  miles  south  of  Mount 
Vernon  in  an  air  line,  but  two  estuaries  of  the  Potomac,  Dogue  and 
Pohick  creeks  interv^ened,  to  circumvent  which  by  land  made  the 
distance  nearly  three  times  as  great.  The  location  of  the  new  church, 
therefore,  being  near  the  headwaters  of  Pohick  and  seven  miles  from 
Mount  Vernon,  was  an  almost  equal  distance  from  Gunston  Hall, 
and  there  this  substantial  and  commodious  structure  stands  to-day, 
a  voiceless  messenger  from  the  past,  a  fitting  monument  to  the  vestry 
and,  more  particularly,  to  Colonel  George  Mason  of  Gunston  and 
Colonel  George  Washington  of  Mount  Vernon,  who  were  the  acknowl- 
edged leaders  in  the  movement  to  secure  its  erection.  (The  illustra- 
tion is  from  a  recent  photograph  and  shows  the  venerable  house  to  be 
in  good  repair,  as  it  is.) 

In  years  past  many  eminent  divines  have  occupied  its  pulpit, 
among  them  the  learned  and  pious  Lee  Massey,  whose  writings  on 
the  religious  tendency  and  church  behavior  of  George  Washington 
have  been  widely  quoted  by  historians  in  dealing  with  that  particular 
phase  of  Washington's  character.  The  eccentric  Mason  L.  Weems, 
first  biographer  of  Washington,  and  originator  of  the  celebrated 
stories  of  his  childhood  such  as  "the  hatchet  and  the  cherry-tree," 
"the  cabbage  seed,"  etc.,  was  at  one  time  its  temporary  rector,  while 
the  present  pastor,  the  Reverend  Everard  Meade,  is  a  grandson  of  the 
venerable  Bishop  William  Meade,  the  profound  theologian  and  his- 
torian of  the  Diocese  of  Virginia. 

In  Washington's  day,  vestries  were  elected  by  the  freeholders  or 
qualified  voters  of  the  vicinage  for  entire  parishes  and  not  for  any 
particular  church.  They  also  performed  the  duties  of  civil  officers 
and  assisted  the  courts  in  certain  secular  affairs.  Churchwardens 
were  selected  by  the  vestry  for  special  or  specific  duties.  Apart  from 
their  church  work,  they  were  required  to  report  to  the  chief  magis- 
trate or  proper  prosecuting  officer  all  violations  of  the  law,  such  as 
Sabbath  breaking,  absence  from  religious  service  without  reasonable 
excuse,  profanity,  disturbing  public  worship,  gambling  and,  in  fact, 
any  infraction  of  the  statutes  which  came  under  their  observation. 

There  might  be,  as  in  Truro,  several  churches  in  the  same  parish 
and  all  under  the  supervision  of  one  vestry.     To  be  eligible  to  the 


94 


WASHINGTON   THE   MAN    AND   THE   MASON. 


position  of  vestryman,  under  both  civil  and  ecclesiastical  law,  one 
had  to  be  a  resident  freeholder  in  the  parish  where  he  served.  As 
numerous,  prominent  writers  have  stated  that  Washington  was  a  vestry- 
man in  two  parishes,  inferentially  conveying  the  erroneous  idea  that  he 
served  in  both  simultaneously,  a  correction  of  this  error,  with  an  expla- 
nation of  how  the  confusion  occurred,  will  not  be  amiss  at  this  time. 

Up  to  February  i,  1765,  Alexandria  city  was  located  in  Truro 
Parish  and  consequently  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  vestry  of  which 
Washington  was  a  member,  but  upon  that  date,  in  conformity  to  an 
act  of  the  General  Assembly,  a  division  of  Truro  was  made  and  a  new 
parish  created.  By  this  division,  Mount  Vernon  was  transferred  to 
the  new  parish  of  Fairfax,  and  on  March  28,  1765,  immediately  fol- 
lowing the  transfer,  Washington  was  elected  a  member  of  the  first 
vestry  of  Fairfax  Parish. 

The  life  of  this  vestry  was  exactly  four  months.  Sundry  resi- 
dents of  Truro,  objecting  to  the  location  of  the  dividing  line  between 
the  two  parishes,  secured  a  repeal  of  the  act  legahzing  the  division, 
and  the  passage  of  a  new  measure  (on  May  23)  granting  a  more  equi- 
table and  satisfactory  arrangement,  under  which  the  dividing  line 
between  the  two  parishes  was  established  north  of  Mount  Vernon 
instead  of  on  the  south.  Washington,  again  in  Truro,  was  promptly 
restored  to  his  place  in  the  vestry  of  that  parish  and  continued  to 
serve  as  such  until  February,  1774. 

The  original  of  the  following  table,  in  Washington's  handwriting, 
is  in  the  Library  of  Congress.  It  shows  who  constituted  this  short- 
lived vestry  and  also  shows  that  he  (Washington)  was  not  a  member 
of  Truro  vestry  while  serving  on  that  of  Fairfax  Parish,  and  vice  versa. 


Vestry  chosen  for  Truro  Parish, 

25th  of 

Vestry  chosen  for  Fairfax  Parish,  28th 

March,  1765,  with  the  Number 

March,  1765,  with  the  Number 

of  Votes  to  each. 

of  Votes  to  each. 

Mr.  Edward  Payne,     . 

234 

Colo.  John  West, 

340 

Colo.  George  Mason,  . 

2IO 

Mr.  Charles  Alexander, 

309 

Captn.  Daniel  McCarty,     . 

181 

Mr.  William  Payne,    . 

304 

Mr.  Thos.  Withers  Coffer,  . 

174 

Capt.  John  Dalton,     . 

281 

Mr.  William  Gardner, 

169 

Colo.  Geo.  Washington, 

274 

Colo.  George  Wm.  Fairfax, 

161 

Majr.  Chas.  Broadwater,    . 

260 

Mr.  Alexr.  Henderson, 

158 

Captn.  George  Johnston,    . 

254 

Captn.  Lewis  Ellzey,   . 

•          152 

Mr.  Townsend  Dade, 

.       252 

Mr.  Thomison  Ellzey, 

■          151 

Mr.  Richd.  Sanford,    . 

.       247 

Mr.  Thomas  Ford, 

151 

Mr.  Willm.  Adams,     , 

.       244 

Mr.  John  Ford,     . 

141 

Captn.  Posey, 

222 

Majr.  Peter  Wagener, 

126 

Mr.  Daniel  French,     . 

221 

WASHINGTON   THE)   CIVILIAN. 


95 


Vestry  chosen  for  Truro  Parish,  22nd 

July,  1765,  with  the  Number 

of  Votes  for  each. 


Colo.  Geo.  Mason, 
Captn.  Edw.  Payne,    . 
Colo.  Geo.  Washington, 
Captn.  John  Posey, 
Captn.  Daniel  McCarty, 
Colo.  Geo.  Wm.  Fairfax, 
Mr.  Alexander  Henderson, 
Mr.  William  Gardner, 
Mr.  Thomison  Ellzey, 
Mr.  Thos.  Withers  Coffer, 
Mr.  William  Lynton,  . 
Mr.  Thomas  Ford, 


Vestry  chosen  for  Fairfax  Parish,  25th 

July,  1765,  with  the  Number 

of  Votes  for  each. 


282 

Colo.  West, 

309 

277 

Mr.  Wmiam  Payne,     . 

289 

259 

Mr.  William  Adams,   . 

250 

259 

Captn.  John  Dalton,    . 

247 

246 

Mr.  Thos.  Wren,  . 

237 

235 

Mr.  Edward  Dulan,    . 

228 

231 

Majr.  Cha.  Broadwater,     . 

225 

218 

Mr.  Richard  Sanford, 

225 

209 

Mr.  Daniel  French,     . 

216 

189 

Mr.  Edward  Blackburn,     . 

210 

173 

Mr.  Thos.  Shaw, 

209 

170 

Mr.  Townsend  Dade, 

205 

During  the  eleven  years  of  Washington's  service  as  a  member  of 
the  vestry  of  Truro,  there  were  held  thirty-one  meetings  of  that  body 
and  we  find  him  recorded  present  at  twenty-three.  His  absence  from 
the  other  eight  are  accounted  for  in  his  diary  as  follows :  Once  he  was 
sick  in  bed,  twice  he  was  in  attendance  at  the  General  Assembly  and, 
at  the  time  of  the  remaining  five,  not  in  the  county.  The  regularity 
of  his  attendance  at  the  meetings  of  the  vestry  and  the  progress  of 
church  work  throughout  the  parish  during  his  incumbency  is  a  strik- 
ing testimonial  of  the  religious  zeal  and  activity  of  him  and  his  asso- 
ciates. He  was  on  the  building  committee,  drew  the  plans,  and 
personally  superintended  the  building  of  the  new  church  at  Pohick; 
and,  as  churchwarden,  with  George  WiUiam  Fairfax  he  advertised 
for  and  no  doubt  accepted  the  estimates  and  arranged  the  contract 
for  the  construction  of  the  Falls  Church  (about  eight  miles  from 
Alexandria),  and  was  also  one  of  the  building  committee  who  super- 
intended the  construction  of  the  Upper  or  Payne's  Church  (near 
Fairfax  Court  House).  The  exterior  resemblance  of  these  buildings, 
the  similarity  of  design,  and  their  conformity  to  a  general  plan  induce 
the  belief  that  the  same  architectural  drawings  were  used  for  all 
three.  As  the  plans  for  Pohick  were  declared  by  Lossing,  who  saw 
them,  to  have  been  prepared  by  Colonel  Washington,  there  can 
be  little  doubt  of  the  adoption  of  his  design  for  each  of  the  other 
churches  and  possibly  for  that  of  Christ  Church  in  Alexandria  also, 
for  with  the  exception  of  the  tower,  built  years  after  the  church  was 
completed,  about  1818,  it  is  a  counterpart  of  the  other  three. 

Two  of  these  substantial  old  structures  which  Washington,  as 


96 


WASHINGTON    THE    MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 


a  member  of  Tniro  vestry,  helped  to  erect,  are  still  standing  and 
occupied  as  places  of  public  worship,  viz.,  the  Falls  Church,  located 
at  tlie  town  of  that  name  in  the  upper  part  of  Fairfax  County,  and 
Pohick,  in  the  lower  section  of  the  same  county,  while  Payne's  or 
the  Upper  Church  was  torn  down  in  1862  and  the  bricks  used  to 
erect  chimneys  for  the  winter  quarters  of  union  soldiers  stationed 
in  the  neighborhood. 

Washington's  diary  shows  his  regular  attendance  with  his  family 
at  Pohick  from  the  time  of  his  marriage  in  1759  until  just  before  the 
Revolutionary  War,  whereas,  after  that  period,  we  find  him  generally 
in  attendance  at  Christ  Church  in  Alexandria.  He  had  purchased 
pews  in  both  churches  immediately,  after  their  completion,  holding 
numbers  28  and  29  in  Pohick,  for  which  he  gave  £29  los.,  and  number 
5  in  Christ  Church,  for  which  he  paid  £36  los.  On  the  fly-leaf  of 
his  diary  for  January,  1773,  is  the  following  memorandum: 


Sale  of  the  pews  in  Alexandria  Church 


to  whom 


.  &c. 


Nos.         Purchasers. 
4     Mr.  Townsend  Dade, 

5 

13 
14 
15 
18 

19 
20 
28 
29 


s. 


Colo.  G.  Washington, 

Mr.  Robt.  Adam, 

Mr.  Robt.  Alexander, 

Mr.  Dalton,  . 

Mr.  Thos.  Fleming, 

Col.  Carlyle, 

Mr.  Wm.  Ramsay, 

Messrs.  Jno.  Muir  &c., 

Mr.  John  West,  Jr.,     . 


£ 

28 

36-10 

30 

30-10 

20 

21-   5 

30 

33 

36-  5 

33 


The  revolutionary  struggle  drew  heavily  upon  the  Pohick  con- 
gregation. It  drafted  most  of  the  eligible  male  portion  into  active 
military  service  and  left  to  the  old  and  ver}^  young  the  burdens  which 
had  formerly  devolved  upon  the  strong  and  active,  in  consequence 
of  which  the  church  suffered  a  severe  dechne  from  its  former  pros- 
perous condition  and  gradually  fell  into  a  state  of  semi-neglect.  Nor 
did  this  condition  improve  very  much  after  the  dawn  of  peace  with 
England  and  the  establishment  of  our  Federal  Government.  Its  ven- 
erable and  beloved  rector,  "Parson  Massey,"  stripped  of  his  strongest 
pillars  and  afihcted  with  partial  loss  of  speech,  retired  to  his  farm  on 
the  Occoquan  and  took  up  the  practice  of  medicine,  dispensing  his 
services  free  to  the  poor.  He  hved,  to  an  advanced  age,  the  tranquil 
Ufe  of  a  country  gentleman;  beloved  by  Washington  and  Mason, 


WASHINGTON    THE    CIVILIAN.  97 

whose  pastor  he  was  for  many  years,  and  revered  for  his  gentle  dis- 
position and  extreme  piety  by  all  who  knew  him. 

After  the  desertion  of  Pohick  by  its  regular  attendants  and  sup- 
porters, an  occasional  exhorter  (curious  reUc  of  the  past)  would  stop 
on  his  aimless  journey  and  call  the  little  flock  for  a  day,  or  some 
wandering  evangelist  would  temporarily  take  up  the  work  of  the 
Master  in  this  abandoned  house  of  God. 

Its  founders  and  builders  were  scattered.  Many  of  their  for- 
tunes were  destroyed  by  the  years  of  cruel  struggle,  and  for  decades 
it  looked  as  though  these  sacred  walls,  reared  by  the  fostering  hands 
and  munificence  of  Washington  and  his  neighbors,  were  doomed  to 
utter  ruin.  The  church  was  a  refuge  for  man  and  beast  during  the 
Civil  War  and  sufi'ered  wanton  pillage  at  the  hands  of  sacrilegious 
vandals;  its  doors  and  windows  were  torn  away;  its  pulpit  sacked 
and  burned;  its  pews  destroyed,  and  even  its  floors  pulled  up  and 
pilfered ;  but  generous  hearts  have  restored  it  to  its  former  state  and 
every  Sabbath  morning  can  be  seen,  gathering  around  its  chancel 
as  in  the  long  ago,  the  sturdy  yeomanry  of  the  countryside — men  and 
women  bearing  the  names  of  its  founders,  direct  descendants  of  the 
manorial  lords  who  built  and  consecrated  it  to  its  noble  purpose. 

We  cannot  close  this  short  review  of  Colonel  Washington  in 
civil  Ufe  without  brief  reference  to  some  of  his  associates  on  this 
famous  vestry  of  Truro  Parish. 

First  among  them  was  George  Mason  of  Gunston,  one  of  the 
foremost  citizens  of  that  period.  He  was  a  model  for  patriots  in  a 
patriotic  day.  For  thirty-nine  years  he  served  as  a  vestryman  of 
Truro  Parish.  He  has  already  been  frequently  mentioned  in  con- 
nection with  this  church  work  and  his  intimate  association  with 
Colonel  Washington  and  later  on  came  prominently  to  the  front 
in  the  Council  Chamber  of  his  native  state.  Colonel  Mason 
delighted  in  agricultural  pursuits,  owned  a  number  of  large  planta- 
tions, and  gave  constant  employment  to  nearly  five  hundred  people. 
It  is  credibly  recorded  that  in  one  year  he  shipped  twenty-three 
thousand  bushels  of  wheat  and  one  hundred  hogsheads  of  tobacco, 
the  product  of  his  numerous  farms.  He  took  a  deep  interest  in  public 
afi'airs  but  avoided  as  far  as  possible  ofiicial  life.  An  ardent  and  pro- 
found student  of  nature  and  a  sagacious  pohtical  leader,  it  is  highly 
probable  that  no  single  man  produced  works  of  greater  importance 
and  more  lasting  benefit  to  the  human  family  during  the  mighty 
struggle  for  American  independence  than  did  this  semi -recluse  of 


98  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

Gunston  Hall.  He  served  one  term  in  the  House  of  Burgesses  in 
1759,  after  which  he  firmly  decUned  re-election  for  a  number  of  years, 
but,  from  the  beginning  of  England's  pernicious  system  of  colonial 
taxation,  he  abandoned  the  seclusion  of  his  home  and  vigorously 
opposed,  through  his  potent  and  powerful  pen,  the  onerous  parUa- 
mentary  measures  of  the  mother  coimtry,  arousing  by  unanswerable 
logic  the  spirit  of  resistance  and  of  independence. 

Through  the  persuasion  of  Colonel  Washington  and  others,  who 
knew  the  intrinsic  worth  of  the  man,  he  finally  consented  to  announce 
his  candidacy  and  stand  for  election  to  the  Convention  in  August, 
1775.  His  success  at  the  polls  placed  him  again  in  public  Ufe  as  a 
fitting  and  faithful  successor  to  the  seat  of  George  Washington,  who 
was  then  commander-in-chief  of  the  provincial  forces.  The  assist- 
ance he  rendered  in  subsequent  legislation  and  in  the  formation  of 
our  state  and  Federal  Govenmient  fixed  the  name  of  Mason  in  the 
very  front  rank  among  the  great  men  of  that  or  any  other  age.  His 
Fairfax  Resolves,  drawn  at  a  meeting  of  the  freeholders  of  Fairfax 
County,  held  in  Alexandria  city  on  Monday,  the  i8th  of  July,  1774, 
constitutes  one  of  the  most  forceful  and  determined  protests  against 
English  abuses  ever  written  and  was  adopted  throughout  the  entire 
country  as  a  model  for  the  preparation  of  similar  declarations. 

George  Washington  presided  over  the  meeting  and,  in  obedience 
to  the  instructions,  presented  these  Resolves  to  the  House  of  Bur- 
gesses, of  which  he  was  a  member  at  the  ensuing  session.  They 
clearly  represent  the  spirit  and  feehng  of  the  times  and  constitute 
the  next  important  step  of  Mason  and  Washington,  after  the  Non- 
Importation  Resolution. 

Mason  entered  the  Assembly  the  second  time  at  a  crucial  period 
in  the  history  of  the  country.  One  measure  after  another  of  the 
gravest  importance  came  up  for  consideration  in  rapid  succession. 
It  was  the  beginning  of  the  formative  period  of  a  new  and  original 
government.  Old  English  laws  and  even  social  customs  were  ruth- 
lessly set  aside  with  something  of  malicious  and  vindictive  haste. 
There  appears  to  have  been  a  morbid  rush  to  abandon  and  abolish 
everything  English.  This  disposition,  no  doubt,  inspired  the  meas- 
ure introduced  soon  after  his  arrival,  providing  for  the  legal  support 
of  ministers  and  teachers  of  rehgion  of  all  denominations  by  a  general 
assessment  of  the  people  of  the  state.  This  bill  was  ably  supported 
by  Edmund  Randolph,  Patrick  Henry,  Richard  Henry  Lee,  John 
Page,  Edmund  Pendleton  and  others  of  distinction,  and  vigorously 


WASHINGTON   THE   CIVILIAN.  99 

opposed  by  James  Madison  and  a  strong  following,  among  whom  was 
George  Mason.  It  was  a  bitter  struggle  and  the  contestants  were 
about  equally  divided.  Madison,  however,  secured  a  postponement 
of  final  action  until  the  next  session,  and  in  the  interim  prepared,  at 
the  instance  of  Mason,  the  celebrated  Memorial  and  Remonstrance, 
which  Mason  circulated  throughout  the  Commonwealth,  finally 
defeating  the  measure  and  establishing  the  principle  of  supporting 
churches  and  other  rehgious  institutions  by  voluntary  contribution. 

As  in  the  course  of  this  work  future  reference  will  be  made  to 
Colonel  Mason  in  connection  with  important  legislation,  we  will  now 
pay  brief  attention  to  a  few  others  of  this  distinguished  vestry  of 
old  Truro,  thuteen  of  whom,  at  different  times,  were  members  of  the 
House  of  Burgesses  and  two  of  the  King's  Council,  and  all  of  whom 
Washington  deUghted  to  call  friends  and  neighbors.  Some  of  them 
bore  well-earned  titles  as  just  reward  for  meritorious  service  in  the 
French  and  Indian  War,  and  others  distinguished  themselves  in  the 
great  struggle  for  American  independence. 

The  attorney  for  the  parish,  George  Johnston,  was  an  able  jurist 
and  a  bold,  aggressive  patriot.  He  was  the  representative  in  the  House 
of  Burgesses  from  Fairfax  County  when  Patrick  Henry  first  became 
a  member  of  that  body,  and  had  the  distinguished  honor  of  moving 
the  adoption  of  IMr.  Henry's  celebrated  resolutions  in  opposition  to 
the  Stamp  Act  in  1765. 

Major  Peter  Wagener  of  Colchester  had  won  his  spurs  at  Fort 
Duquesne.  In  that  battle  he  commanded  the  company  of  "Prince 
William  Riflemen"  upon  whom  the  EngUsh  regulars  fired  in  their 
panic.  Wagener's  troops  were  fighting  true  Indian  style  from  behind 
trees  and  rocks,  holding  the  French  and  Indians  at  bay,  when  the 
terrible  mistake  occiu-red.  Out  of  the  eighty  provincial  troopers  in 
his  company,  only  thirty  escaped  unhurt. 

Colonel  Martin  Cockbum,  mentioned  in  connection  with  this 
active  church  work,  was  an  uncle  of  the  "fastidious"  Admiral  Cock- 
bum  who  commanded  the  British  fleet  which  made  an  attack  on  the 
city  of  Washington  in  the  War  of  181 2.  Colonel  Cockbum  was  a 
near  neighbor  and  married  a  relative  of  Colonel  George  Mason. 
There  is  a  very  pretty  Uttle  romance  attached  to  his  Ufe,  which  is 
worthy  of  preservation.  Of  Scotch  descent,  he  was  a  native  of  the 
Island  of  Jamaica  and  when  a  youth  of  eighteen,  while  traveling  in 
Virginia  with  his  father,  fell  in  love  with  Miss  Bronaugh,  whom  he 
met  at  Colonel  Mason's.     Owing  to  the  youth  of  the  couple,  their 


lOO  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

parents  objected  to  an  immediate  marriage  and  young  Cockbum 
returned  with  his  father  to  his  home  in  the  West  Indies.  On  coming 
of  age,  he  came  back  to  his  Virginia  fiancee,  married  the  young  lady 
and  Uved  in  the  neighborhood  of  Gunston  Hall  for  over  fifty  years. 

Still  another  of  this  interesting  coterie  was  Colonel  William 
Grayson,  attorney  for  the  parish  after  the  death  of  Johnson,  a 
resident  of  Dumfries,  Prince  William  County.  He  served  as  colonel 
on  General  Washington's  staff  during  the  revolution  and  was  the 
first  to  inform  the  general  of  the  retreat  and  apparent  treason  of 
Charles  Lee  at  the  battle  of  Monmouth.  Taking  an  active  part  in 
the  politics  of  his  state,  he  was  made  a  member  of  the  convention 
which  ratified  the  Federal  Constitution  in  1788  and  was  elected,  with 
Richard  Henry  Lee,  after  George  Mason  declined  to  serve,  one  of  the 
two  first  senators  from  Virginia  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States. 

There  are  a  number  of  others  among  this  parish  court  who  richly 
deserve  to  be  mentioned,  whose  lives  should  be  written,  whose  deeds 
recorded,  but  the  nature  of  this  work  will  not  permit  of  a  further 
digression.  We  must  take  up  the  course  of  Washington's  life.  He 
is  about  to  step  upon  the  stage  in  the  great  theatre  of  war;  about  to 
come  forth  from  his  years  of  happy  retirement  as  the  leading  actor 
in  one  of  the  most  heroic  and  unequal  struggles  of  modem  times. 
Through  the  windings  of  his  rugged  path  from  Cambridge  to  York- 
town,  touching  only  now  and  then  upon  the  principal  and  important 
occurrences  to  connect  the  story,  we  must  follow  him  until  he  crosses 
the  rubicon  and  is  beyond  the  pale  of  England's  lordly  grip;  until 
he  and  his  loyal  legions  have  stamped  liberty  as  a  burnished  motto 
upon  the  stainless  escutcheon  of  free  America. 


WASHINGTON  AT  THE  AGE  OF  FORTY,  BY  PEELE. 


WASHINGTON  IN  THE  REVOLUTION 

jANY  of  the  measures  enacted  and  expedients  resorted 
to  by  the  burgesses  of  Virginia  during  the  long  period 
of  feverish  excitement  from  the  passage  of  the  Stamp 
Act,  March  22,  1765,  to  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolu- 
tion in  1775,  are  matters  of  general  history  and,  for 
the  purpose  of  this  narrative,  we  will  only  mention 
a  few  of  the  most  important. 

While  the  House  of  Burgesses  was  in  session  in  Wilhamsburg 
in  the  spring  of  1773,  Patrick  Henry,  Thomas  Jefferson,  Richard 
Henry  Lee  and  several  others  were  accustomed  to  meet  in  a  private 
room  at  the  Raleigh  Tavern  for  consultation,  and  during  one  of  these 
meetings  Lee  proposed  a  plan  to  maintain  a  system  of  correspond- 
ence between  the  several  colonies.  Massachusetts  had  instituted  the 
system  in  a  local  way  between  the  counties,  with  favorable  results, 
and  Lee's  idea  was  to  extend  the  scope  of  the  Massachusetts  method 
of  communication  to  all  the  colonies  for  their  mutual  benefit  and 
protection.  A  resolution  to  this  effect  was  offered  by  Dabney  Carr, 
brother-in-law  of  Thomas  Jefferson. 

The  movement  met  with  favor.  The  measure  was  promptly 
passed  by  the  House  and  the  following  committee  appointed :  Robert 
Carter  Nicholas,  Richard  Bland,  Richard  Henry  Lee,  Benjamin 
Harrison,  Edmund  Pendleton,  Patrick  Henry,  Dudley  Diggs,  Dabney 
Carr,  Archibald  Carey  and  Thomas  Jefferson. 

The  governor  at  once  dissolved  the  Assembly,  but  the  mischief 
was  done.  From  that  moment  revolution  was  organized.  Hitherto 
the  American  colonies  had  been  detached  communities.  The  men 
of  the  north  and  the  men  of  the  south,  separated  by  hundreds  of 
miles,  without  steam  or  electricity,  were  practically  strangers.  Boston 
might  be  bombarded  or  Williamsburg  in  flames,  and  neither  might 
know  what  was  the  fate  of  the  other.  Now  this  danger  had  passed. 
The  thirteen  provinces  were  a  unit. 

A  portentous  power  had  been  suddenly  thrust  into  the  quarrel, 
and  William  Lee  wrote  from  London  that  this  intercolonial  consul- 
tation had  "struck  a  greater  panic  into  the  ministers  than  all  that 
had  taken  place  since  the  days  of  the  Stamp  Act."     A  great  machine 


I02 


WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 


had  been  put  in  motion  and  was  hewing  out  the  pathway  to  revolu- 
tion. The  colonies  would  no  longer  engage  in  desultory  and  useless 
skirmishes  but  advance  in  a  solid  column  all  along  the  line. 

The  labors  of  the  committee  were  effective;  a  general  congress 
was  called  to  meet  in  Philadelphia,  September  5,  1774,  and  the  sub- 
joined roster  shows  that  representatives  from  all  the  colonies,  except 
Georgia,  were  present : 

New  Hampshire. 
John  Sullivan,  Nathaniel  Filsom. 

Massachusetts  Bay. 
James  Bowdoin,  John  Adams, 

Thomas  Gushing,  Robert  Treat  Paine. 

Samuel  Adams, 

Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations. 
Stephen  Hopkins,  Samuel  Ward. 

Connecticut. 
Eliphalet  Davis,  Silas  Deane. 

Roger  Sherman, 

From  the  City  and  County  of  New  York,  and  Other 
Counties  in  the  Province  op  New  York. 
James  Deane,  Philip  Livingston, 

Henry  Wishner,  Isaac  Low, 

John  Jay,  John  Alsop. 

From  the  County  of  Suffolk,  in  the  Province  of 
New  York. 

William  Floyd. 


James  Kinsey, 
William  Livingston, 
John  Dehart, 

Joseph  Galloway, 
Charles  Humphreys, 
Samuel  Rhoads, 
George  Ross, 


New  Jersey. 


Pennsylvania. 


Stephen  Crane, 
Richard  Smith. 


John  Morton, 
Thomas  Mifflin, 
Edward  Biddle, 
John  Dickinson. 


Newcastle,  Kent,  and  Sussex,  on  Delaware. 


Cesar  Rodney, 
Thomas  McKean, 

Robert  Goldsborough, 
Thomas  Johnson, 
William  Paca, 


Maryland. 


George  Read. 


Samuel  Chase, 
Matthew  Tilghman. 


5^ 
V*! 


HOME  OF  THE  FIRST  COXTINEXTAL  CONGRES?. 


WASHINGTON   IN   THE   REVOLUTION.  103 

Virginia. 
Peyton  Randolph,  Richard  Bland, 

Richard  Henry  Lee,  Benjamin  Harrison, 

George  Washington,  Edmund  Pendleton. 

Patrick  Henry, 

North  Carolina. 
William  Hooper,  Richard  Caswell. 

Joseph  Hewes, 

South  Carolina. 
Henry  Middleton,  Christopher  Gadsden, 

John  Rutledge,  Edward  Rutledge. 

Thomas  Lynch, 

The  delegation  from  Virginia  was  composed  of  some  of  her  best 
and  ablest  citizens.  They  were,  according  to  the  historian  Ramsay, 
"men  who  would  have  done  honor  to  any  age  or  country,"  and  in 
point  of  intellect  Virginia's  delegation  was  no  exception  to  the  rule. 
The  Congress  assembled  in  a  room  in  Carpenters'  Hall  and  organized 
by  electing  Peyton  Randolph  of  Virginia,  president,  with  Charles 
Thompson  of  Pennsylvania,  secretary. 

Men  from  every  section  were  now  brought  together.  "  It  is  such 
an  assembly,"  wrote  John  Adams,  "as  never  before  came  together 
of  a  sudden  in  any  part  of  the  world."  By  a  singular  chance,  the 
Psalter  for  the  day  of  the  month  in  the  prayer  book  used  in  opening 
the  Congress  with  prayer  contained  the  words — "Plead  my  cause, 
O  Lord,  with  them  that  strive  with  me,  fight  against  them  that  fight 
against  me.  Take  hold  of  shield  and  buckler  and  stand  up  for  my 
help ;  draw  out  also  the  spear  and  stop  the  way  of  them  that  perse- 
cute me.     Say  unto  my  soul,  I  am  thy  salvation,"  etc. 

The  imploring  words  of  this  Psalm  appealed  with  particular  force 
to  the  delegates  from  New  England.  John  Adams  wrote  to  his  wife 
on  the  subject: 

You  must  remember  this  was  the  morning  after  we  heard  the  horrible  rumor  of 
the  cannonade  of  Boston.  I  never  saw  a  greater  effect  upon  an  audience.  It 
seemed  as  if  Heaven  had  ordained  that  Psalm  to  be  read  on  that  morning.  After 
this  Mr.  Douche  unexpectedly  struck  into  an  extemporary  prayer,  which  filled  the 
bosom  of  every  man  present.  Episcopalian  as  he  is,  Dr.  Cooper  himself  never 
prayed  with  such  fervor,  such  ardor,  such  earnestness  and  pathos  and  in  language 
so  eloquent  and  sublime;  lor  America,  for  the  congress,  for  the  province  of  Massa- 
chusetts Bay,  and  especially  the  town  of  Boston.  It  had  an  excellent  effect  upon 
everybody  here. 

A  long  and  deep  silence  followed  the  prayer  of  the  venerable 
chaplain,  which  was  becoming  painfully  embarrassing,  when  finally 


I04  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN    AND   THE    MASON. 

Patrick  Henry  rose  and  made  one  of  his  greatest  and  most  earnest 
speeches.  "British  oppression,"  he  exclaimed,  "has  effaced  the 
boundaries  of  the  several  colonies.  The  distinctions  between  Virgin- 
ians and  Pennsylvanians,  New  Yorkers  and  New  Englanders  are  no 
more.     I  am  not  a  Virginian  but  an  American  " 

The  action  of  Congress  was  calm  and  deliberate.  "It  was  not 
their  wish,"  said  Washington,  "separately  or  collectively  to  set  up 
for  independence."  A  redress  of  colonial  grievances  was  their  object, 
and  the  Congress  finally  determined  upon  a  declaration  of  rights. 
A  petition  to  the  king,  drafted  by  Mr.  Dickinson  of  Philadelphia,  an 
address  to  the  people  of  Great  Britain  by  Mr.  John  Jay  of  New  York, 
and  a  memorial  to  the  inhabitants  of  British  America  by  Richard 
Henry  Lee  were  among  the  peaceable  measures  adopted. 

The  moderation  of  Congress  aroused  sympathy  for  the  American 
cause  in  England.  Lord  Chatham,  in  the  House  of  Lords,  said:  "I 
know  not  the  people  or  senate,  who,  in  such  a  complication  of  difficult 
circumstances,  can  stand  in  preference  to  the  delegates  of  America, 
assembled  in  general  congress  in  Philadelphia." 

To  return  to  the  course  of  events  in  Virginia;  Norbome  Berkley, 
Baron  de  Botetourt,  was  appointed  Governor  of  the  Commonwealth, 
July,  1768.  He  had  been  Lord  High  Chamberlain  to  the  king. 
whom  Junius  described  as  "  a  cringing,  bowing,  fawning,  swordbearing 
courtier,"  and  Horace  Walpole  declared:  "If  his  grace  does  not  capti- 
vate the  Virginians,  he  will  enrage  them  to  fury,  for  I  take  all  his 
douceur  to  be  enameled  iron." 

These  words  of  the  wits  and  satirists  did  not  prove  true.  Bote- 
tourt at  first  affected  the  pomp  of  the  English  court,  but  the  depre- 
cating smile  of  the  Virginia  burghers  soon  convinced  him  of  his  error 
and  developed  the  true  manly  qualities  which  in  a  short  while  made 
him  the  idol  of  the  colony,  and  his  untimely  death  on  October  15, 
1770,  produced  the  most  unaffected  sorrow. 

In  his  short  administration  he  had  learned  to  love  his  new  found 
friends,  to  sympathize  with  them  in  their  struggles,  and  had  used  his 
best  efforts  to  restore  peace  and  secure  their  rights  from  the  home 
government.  While  these  efforts  had  failed,  his  intentions  were 
appreciated,  as  the  following  inscription  on  a  monument  erected  to 
his  memory  in  Wilhamsburg  by  the  grateful  burgesses  (and  still 
standing)  amply  testifies: 

America,  behold  your  friend,  who  leaving  his  native  country,  declined  those 
additional  honors  which  were  there  in  store  for  him,  that  he  might  heal  your  wounds 


WASHINGTON   IN   THE   REVOLUTION.  1 05 

and  restore  tranquillity  and  happiness  to  this  extensive  continent.     With  what  zeal 
and  anxiety  he  pursued  these  glorious  objects,  Virginia  thus  bears  grateful  testimony. 

What  a  striking  contrast  was  the  character  of  this  good  man  to 
that  of  his  successor,  John  Murray,  the  Earl  of  Dunmore,  whose  very 
name  became  a  synonym  of  evil  and  whose  memory  is  a  blot  on  English 
civilization.  Although  he  was  treated  with  the  utmost  courtesy  and 
deference  by  the  colonists,  whose  politeness  and  liberal  hospitality 
deserved  reciprocal  friendship  and  co-operation  in  their  efforts  to 
appease  the  English  Parliament,  he  forfeited  the  most  distant  claim 
to  their  courtesy  and  respect  by  his  arrogant,  insolent  and  overbearing 
conduct;  and,  with  shameless  audacity,  grossly  betrayed  the  trust  of  a 
generous  and  confiding  people. 

Surrounding  himself  with  kindred  spirits,  he  repaired  to  his 
armed  vessel  lying  in  the  James,  and  began  a  system  of  rapine,  arson 
and  murder  along  the  water  courses  that  would  have  disgraced  a 
savage  freebooter  and  which,  be  it  said  to  their  credit,  proved  repug- 
nant to  even  the  most  exacting  supporters  of  the  crown.  The  in- 
human conduct  of  Dunmore  filled  the  colony  with  bitter  resentment, 
while  the  enactment  of  the  drastic  Boston  Port  Bill  and  other  wrongs 
perpetrated  upon  the  defenceless  people  of  Massachusetts,  together 
with  their  patient  suffering  and  their  heroic  resistance,  won  from 
proud  Virginia  the  deepest  sympathy  and  warmest  praise  and  pre- 
cipitated active  defensive  measures  which  might  have  been  postponed, 
at  least  temporarily,  had  different  conditions  prevailed. 

Patience,  it  appeared,  had  ceased  to  be  a  virtue;  appeals  to  Par- 
liament were  spurned  with  contempt,  supplications  to  the  throne 
turned  away  with  heedless  indifference,  and  every  chartered  right  and 
principle  of  self-government  ruthlessly  violated.  It  needed  but  a 
feeble  spark  to  kindle  the  fire  of  revolution,  but  notwithstanding  this 
feverish  state  of  public  mind,  there  were  many  present  at  the  opening 
of  the  convention  which  assembled  in  old  St.  John's  Church  in  Rich- 
mond on  Monday,  March  20,  1775,  who  fondly  cherished  the  hope  of 
future  reconciliation.  Some  of  the  memorials  and  addresses  of  the 
national  congress  to  the  Crown  and  people  of  England  were  still  pend- 
ing. There  were  bold  enough  spirits  present  to  follow,  but  few  dared 
take  the  lead.  The  time  had  not  yet  come,  they  said.  "Wait, 
wait,"  was  the  watchword. 

It  was  a  case  of  suspended  political  animation  until  the  morning 
of  the  23d  when  a  resolution  of  thanks  to  the  Assembly  of  Jamaica  for 
their  affectionate  intercession  to  Parliament  in  behalf  of  the  colonies 


I06  WASHINGTON   THE)   MAN   AND   THB   MASON. 

aroused  decisive  action  on  the  part  of  Patrick  Henry.  This  "  fawning 
was  gall  and  wormwood ' '  to  him.  He  had  pondered  well  the  situation 
and  with  his  keen  and  level  vision  had  penetrated  the  future.  Rising 
in  his  seat,  he  offered,  at  first  without  comment,  the  following  reso- 
lutions : 

Resolved,  That  a  well-regtilated  militia,  composed  of  gentlemen  and  yeomen,  is 
the  natural  strength  and  only  security  of  a  free  government;  that  such  a  militia  in 
this  colony  would  forever  render  it  unnecessary  for  the  mother  country  to  keep 
among  us,  for  the  purpose  of  our  defence,  any  standing  army  of  mercenary  soldiers, 
always  subversive  of  the  quiet,  and  dangerous  to  the  liberties  of  the  people,  and 
would  obviate  the  pretext  of  taxing  us  for  their  support. 

That  the  establishment  of  such  mihtia  is,  at  this  time,  peculiarly  necessary,  by 
the  state  of  our  laws,  for  the  protection  and  defence  of  the  country,  some  of  which 
are  already  expired,  and  others  will  shortly  be  so;  and  that  the  known  remissness  of 
the  government  in  calling  us  together  in  legislative  capacity,  renders  it  too  insecure, 
in  this  time  of  danger  and  distress,  to  rely  that  opportunity  will  be  given  of  renewing 
them  in  General  Assembly,  or  making  any  provision  to  secure  our  inestimable  rights 
and  liberties,  from  those  further  \'iolations  with  which  they  are  threatened. 

Resolved,  therefore.  That  this  colony  be  immediately  put  into  a  state  of  defence, 

and  that , • , • ,  be  a  committee  to  prepare  a  plan  for 

embodying,  arming,  and  disciplining  such  a  number  of  men,  as  may  be  sufficient  for 
that  purpose. 

In  an  instant  the  convention  was  in  an  uproar.  A  state  of  wild 
alarm  pervaded  the  assembly,  and  some  of  the  boldest  defenders  of 
colonial  rights  stood  aghast  and  poured  forth  vehement  protests 
against  Mr.  Henry's  Resolves.     They  asked : 

Was  this  a  moment  to  disgust  our  friends,  to  extinguish  all  the  conspiring  sym- 
pathies, which  were  working  in  our  favor,  to  turn  their  friendship  into  hatred,  their 
pity  into  revenge?  And  what  was  there  in  the  situation  of  the  colony,  to  tempt  us 
to  this?  Were  we  a  great  military  people?  Were  we  ready  for  war ?  Where  were 
our  stores — where  our  arms — our  soldiers — our  generals — our  money,  the  sinews  of 
war  ?  They  were  nowhere  to  be  found.  In  truth,  we  were  poor — we  were  maimed — 
we  were  defenceless.  And  yet  we  talk  of  assuming  the  front  of  war  against  a  nation 
ready  and  armed  at  all  points.  Her  navies  riding  triumphant  on  every  sea,  her 
armies  never  marching  but  to  certain  victory.   .    .    . 

The  measiu'e  might  be  brave;  but  it  was  the  bravery  of  madmen.  It  had  no 
pretension  to  the  character  of  prudence,  and  as  little  to  the  grace  of  genuine  courage. 
It  would  be  time  enough  to  resort  to  measures  of  despair  when  every  well-founded 
hope  had  entirely  vanished. 

These  spirited  protests  served  but  to  stimulate  the  ardent  mind  of 
Mr.  Henry  and  nerve  him  for  the  forensic  battle.  Ten  years  before, 
he  had  whipped  into  line  the  weak  and  faltering  and  forced  the  passage 


WASHINGTON   IN   THE   REVOLUTION.  I07 

of  his  resolutions  on  the  Stamp  Act,  and  now  he  arose  to  meet  this 
emergency  with  the  superb  courage  of  honest  conviction  and  lofty 
purpose.  It  was  an  awful  moment;  the  hberties  of  three  milUon 
people  were  in  the  balance.  The  die  had  been  cast  and  the  day  would 
go  down  in  history  as  the  pivotal  point  in  the  preliminary  struggle, 
while  its  record  would  cause  the  name  of  Henry  to  be  revered  or  ridi- 
culed by  generations  yet  to  come. 

Naturally  a  serious  man,  he  arose  with  a  dignity  commensurate 
with  the  solemnity  and  importance  of  the  occasion.  No  man,  he 
declared,  thought  more  highly  than  did  he  of  the  patriotism  as  well 
as  abilities  of  the  very  worthy  gentlemen  who  had  just  addressed  the 
House.  But  different  men  often  saw  the  same  subject  in  different 
lights;  and,  therefore,  he  hoped  it  would  not  be  thought  disrespectful 
to  those  gentlemen,  if,  entertaining,  as  he  did,  opinions  of  a  character 
very  opposite  to  theirs,  he  would  speak  forth  his  sentiments  freely  and 
without  reserve.  "This,"  he  said,  "was  no  time  for  ceremony." 
Continuing,  Mr.  Henry  declared : 

Sir,  we  have  done  everything  that  could  be  done,  to  avert  the  storm  which  is 
now  coming  on.  We  have  petitioned — we  have  remonstrated — we  have  suppHcated, 
we  have  prostrated  ourselves  before  the  throne,  and  have  implored  its  interposition 
to  arrest  the  tyrannical  hands  of  the  ministry  and  Parliament.  Our  petitions  have 
been  slighted;  our  remonstrances  have  produced  additional  violence  and  insult;  our 
supplications  have  been  disregarded;  and  we  have  been  spumed,  with  contempt, 
from  the  foot  of  the  throne.  In  vain,  after  these  things,  may  we  indulge  the  fond 
hope  of  peace  and  recondlation.  There  is  no  longer  any  room  for  hope.  If  we  wish 
to  be  free — if  we  mean  to  preserve  inviolate  those  inestimable  privileges  for  which 
we  have  been  so  long  contending— if  we  mean  not  basely  to  abandon  the  noble 
struggle  in  which  we  have  been  so  long  engaged,  and  which  we  have  pledged  our- 
selves never  to  abandon,  until  the  glorious  object  of  our  contest  shall  be  obtained — 
we  must  fight — I  repeat  it,  sir,  we  must  fight.  An  appeal  to  arms  and  to  the  God 
of  Battles,  is  all  that  is  left  us. 

They  tell  us,  sir,  that  we  are  weak — unable  to  cope  with  so  formidable  an  adver- 
sary. Sir,  we  are  not  weak,  if  we  make  a  proper  use  of  those  means  which  the  God 
of  nature  hath  placed  in  our  power.  Three  milhons  of  people  armed  in  the  holy  cause 
of  liberty,  and  in  a  country  such  as  we  possess,  are  invincible  by  any  force  which  our 
enemy  can  send  against  us.  Besides,  sir,  we  shall  not  fight  our  battles  alone.  There 
is  a  just  God  who  presides  over  the  destinies  of  nations,  and  who  will  raise  up  friends 
to  fight  our  battles  for  us.  The  battle,  sir,  is  not  to  the  strong  alone ;  it  is  to  the  vigi- 
lant, the  active,  the  brave.  Besides,  sir,  we  have  no  election.  If  we  were  base 
enough  to  desire  it,  it  is  now  too  late  to  retire  from  the  contest.  There  is  no  retreat 
but  in  submission  and  slavery.  Our  chains  are  forged.  Their  clanking  may  be 
heard  on  the  plains  of  Boston.  The  war  is  inevitable — and  let  it  come.  I  repeat  it, 
sir,  let  it  come. 


I08  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN    AND    THE    MASON. 

It  is  in  vain,  sir,  to  extenuate  the  matter.  Gentlemen  may  cry,  peace,  peace — 
but  there  is  no  peace.  The  war  is  actually  begun.  The  next  gale  that  sweeps  from 
the  north  will  bring  to  our  ears  the  clash  of  resounding  arms.  Our  brethren  are 
already  in  the  field.  Why  stand  we  here  idle  ?  What  is  it  that  the  gentlemen  wish  ? 
WTiat  would  they  have?  Is  life  so  dear,  or  peace  so  sweet,  as  to  be  purchased  at  the 
price  of  chains  and  slavery?  Forbid  it,  Almighty  God — I  know  not  what  course 
others  may  take;  but  as  for  me  (with  both  his  arms  extended  aloft,  his  brows  knit, 
every  feature  marked  with  the  resolute  purpose  of  his  soul,  and  his  voice  swelled 
to  its  boldest  note  of  exclamation) — give  me  liberty — or  give  me  death. 

He  took  his  seat.  No  murmur  of  applause  was  heard.  The 
effect  was  too  deep.  After  the  trance  of  a  moment  several  members 
started  from  their  seat.  The  cry  "to  arms"  seemed  to  quiver  on 
every  lip  and  gleam  from  every  eye.  Richard  Henry  Lee  arose  and 
supported  Mr.  Henry,  with  his  usual  spirit  of  elegance.  But  his 
melody  was  lost  amid  the  agitations  of  that  ocean,  which  the  master- 
spirit of  the  storm  had  raised  up  on  high.  That  supernatural  voice 
still  sounded  in  their  ears  and  shivered  along  their  arteries.  They 
heard,  in  every  pause,  the  cry  of  liberty  or  death.  They  became 
impatient  of  speech — their  souls  were  on  fire  for  action. 

The  resolutions  were  adopted,  and  Patrick  Henry,  Richard 
Henry  Lee,  Robert  C.  Nicholas,  Benjamin  Harrison,  Lemuel  Riddick, 
George  Washington,  Adam  Stevens,  Andrew  Lewis,  William  Christian, 
Edmund  Pendleton,  Thomas  Jefferson,  and  Isaac  Lane,  esquires, 
were  appointed  a  committee  to  prepare  the  plan  called  for  by  the  last 
resolution. 

The  plan  for  embodying,  arming  and  discipUning  the  miUtia,  pro- 
posed by  the  committee  which  has  just  been  mentioned,  was  received 
and  adopted.  Henry  became  the  voice  of  Virginia;  his  utterances 
the  slogan  of  the  populace — "War  is  inevitable,  and  let  it  come, " 
resounded  everywhere.  The  news  of  the  stealthy  midnight  foray  of 
the  Enghsh  troops  from  Boston  to  capttu-e  munitions  of  war  stored  at 
Concord,  the  vigilance  of  Warren  and  Paul  Revere,  in  giving  the  alarm 
of  the  approach  of  the  British  soldiers,  and  finally  the  ruthless  slaughter 
of  forty-nine  innocent  provincials  at  Lexington  and  Concord,  had 
fulfilled  his  prophecy  that  "the  next  gale  that  sweeps  from  the  north 
will  bring  to  our  ears  the  clash  of  resounding  arms.  " 

All  efforts  at  reconciliation  had  now  failed.  A  company  of 
militia  was  hastily  enUsted  and  equipped  in  every  county.  Before 
daylight,  June  i,  1775,  Lord  Dunmore  fled  from  the  capital  (Williams- 
burg) and  took  refuge  on  board  the  Fowey,  lying  at  Yorktown. 


< 

K 

W 
O 

w 
Q 
2; 

w 

Q 

z 

Q 
Z 

< 

M 
o 
o 
o 
z 
< 

z 

w 
o 


WASHINGTON   IN  THE   REVOLUTION.  109 

Just  one  month  before  this  occurred,  on  the  loth  of  May,  the  second 
General  Congress  assembled  in  Independence  Hall,  Philadelphia. 
Peyton  Randolph  was  again  elected  president,  but,  having  been 
previously  elected  Speaker  of  the  Virginia  Assembly,  he  returned  to 
take  up  the  duties  of  that  position  in  Williamsburg,  and  John  Hancock 
of  Massachusetts  was  elevated  to  the  chair.  There  was  an  evidence 
of  a  stronger  feeling  against  the  mother  country,  and  more  excite- 
ment prevailed  than  characterized  the  previous  session.  Blood  had 
been  shed  in  Massachusetts  and  an  army  of  New  England  provincials 
infested  the  town  of  Boston,  fully  determined  on  further  resistance. 

On  the  15th  of  June,  this  New  England  army  was  regularly 
adopted  by  Congress  and  the  pay  of  the  commander-in-chief  fixed  at 
five  hundred  dollars  a  month.  Several  names  were  suggested  for  the 
position,  finally  resulting  in  the  nomination  of  George  Washington  by 
Mr.  Thomas  Johnson  of  Maryland. 

Washington  was  unanimously  elected  and  on  the  day  after  his 
election,  June  i6,  1775,  appeared  before  the  House  and  addressed 
them  as  follows: 

Mr.  President  :  Though  I  am  truly  sensible  of  the  high  honor  done  me  in  this 
appointment,  yet  I  feel  great  distress  from  a  consciousness  that  my  abilities  and 
military  experience  may  not  be  equal  to  the  extensive  and  important  trust;  however, 
as  the  Congress  desire  it,  I  will  enter  upon  the  momentous  duty,  and  exert  every 
power  I  possess  in  their  service  and  for  support  of  the  glorious  cause.  I  beg  they 
will  accept  my  most  cordial  thanks  for  this  distinguished  testimony  of  their  appro- 
bation. 

But  lest  some  unlucky  event  should  happen  unfavorable  to  my  reputation,  I  beg 
it  may  be  remembered  by  every  gentleman  in  the  room,  that  I  this  day  declare  with 
the  utmost  sincerity,  I  do  not  think  myself  equal  to  the  command  I  am  honored  with. 

As  to  pay,  sir,  I  beg  leave  to  assure  the  Congress,  that  as  no  pecuniary  consid- 
eration could  have  tempted  me  to  accept  this  arduous  employment,  at  the  expense 
of  my  domestic  ease  and  happiness,  I  do  not  wish  to  make  any  profit  from  it.  I  will 
keep  an  exact  account  of  my  expenses.  Those,  I  doubt  not,  they  will  discharge, 
and  that  is  all  I  desire. 

Indeed  this  domestic  happiness  of  which  he  spoke  appeared  to  have 
been  uppermost  in  his  mind.  His  first  thought  turned  to  his  home 
and  to  his  wife.  The  death  of  her  daughter,  Martha  Custis,  June  19, 
1773,  and  the  subsequent  marriage  of  her  son  and  only  remaining 
child,  John  Custis,  to  Miss  Eleanor  Calvert,  daughter  of  Benedict 
Calvert,  Esq.,  of  Mount  Airy,  Maryland,  on  the  3d  of  February,  1774, 
had,  in  the  absence  of  the  general,  left  Mrs.  Washington  alone  and, 
naturally,  her  husband  sympathized  with  her  in  her  lonely  situation. 


no  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

The  ensuing  letter,  written  immediately  after  his  appointment, 
clearly  indicates  the  burden  of  his  thoughts  and  shows  how  keenly  he 
felt  the  enforced  separation  from  his  wife  and  home : 

My  Dearest  :  I  am  now  set  down  to  write  to  you  on  a  subject  which  fills  me 
with  inexpressible  concern,  and  this  concern  is  greatly  aggravated  and  increased 
when  I  reflect  upon  the  uneasiness  I  know  it  will  give  you.  It  has  been  determined 
in  Congress,  that  the  whole  army  raised  for  the  defence  of  the  American  cause  shall 
be  put  under  my  care,  and  that  it  is  necessary  for  me  to  proceed  immediately  to 
Boston  to  take  upon  me  the  command. 

You  may  believe  me,  my  dear  Patsy,  when  I  assure  you  in  the  most  solemn 
manner,  that,  so  far  from  seeking  this  appointment,  I  have  used  every  endeavor  in 
my  power  to  avoid  it,  not  only  from  my  unwillingness  to  part  with  you  and  the 
family,  but  from  a  consciousness  of  its  being  a  trust  too  great  for  my  capacity,  and 
that  I  should  enjoy  more  real  happiness  in  one  month  with  you  at  home  than  I  have 
the  most  distant  prospect  of  finding  abroad,  if  my  stay  were  to  be  seven  times  seven 
years.  But  as  it  has  been  a  kind  of  destiny  that  has  thrown  me  upon  this  service, 
I  shall  hope  that  my  undertaking  is  designed  to  answer  some  good  purpose.  You 
might,  and  I  suppose  did,  perceive,  from  the  tenor  of  my  letters,  that  I  was  appre- 
hensive I  could  not  avoid  this  appointment,  as  I  did  not  pretend  to  intimate  when  I 
should  return.  That  was  the  case.  It  was  utterly  out  of  my  power  to  refuse  this 
appointment,  without  exposing  my  character  to  such  censures  as  would  have  reflected 
dishonor  upon  myself,  and  given  pain  to  my  friends.  This  I  am  sure  could  not  and 
ought  not  to  be  pleasing  to  you,  and  must  have  lessened  me  considerably  in  my  own 
esteem.  I  shall  rely,  therefore,  confidently,  on  that  Providence,  which  has  hereto- 
fore preserved  and  been  bountiful  to  me,  not  doubting  but  that  I  shall  return  safe 
to  you  in  the  fall.  I  shall  feel  no  pain  from  the  toil  or  the  danger  of  the  campaign ; 
my  imhappiness  will  flow  from  the  imeasiness  I  know  you  will  feel  from  being  left 
alone.  I  therefore  beg  that  you  will  simimon  your  whole  fortitude  and  pass  your 
time  as  agreeably  as  possible.  Nothing  will  give  me  so  much  sincere  satisfaction 
as  to  hear  this,  and  to  hear  it  from  your  own  pen.  My  earnest  and  ardent  desire 
is,  that  you  would  pursue  any  plan  that  is  most  likely  to  produce  content,  and  a 
tolerable  degree  of  tranquillity ;  as  it  must  add  greatly  to  my  uneasy  feelings  to  hear 
that  you  are  dissatisfied  or  complaining  at  what  I  really  could  not  avoid. 

Immediately  after  the  appointment  of  a  commander-in-chief,  Con- 
gress selected  four  major-generals  and  one  adjutant-general  of  the 
rank  of  brigadier  as  his  subordinates,  viz.,  first,  Major-General  Arte- 
mas  Ward;  second,  Charles  Lee;  third,  Phihp  Schuyler;  fourth,  Israel 
Putnam ;  Adjutant-General  Horatio  Gates,  with  eight  brigadiers  in  the 
following  order — first,  Seth  Pomeroy ;  second,  Richard  Montgomer)^ ; 
third,  David  Wooster;  fourth,  WilHam  Heath;  fifth,  Joseph  Spencer; 
sixth,  John  Thomas ;  seventh,  John  Sullivan ;  eighth,  Nathaniel  Greene. 

Wasliing^on  received  his  commission  from  the  President  of  Con- 
gress  on  June  20  and  left  Philadelphia  on  the  2  ist,  en  route  for  his  post 


G^rilP^!!}^PSc^^^ 


-etoTs^^iif^^ 


WASHINGTON'S    FIRST    MAJOR-GENERALS. 


WASHINGTON   IN   THE   REVOLUTION."  Ill 

of  duty  at  Cambridge,  accompanied  by  Generals  Schuyler  and  Lee. 
Shortly  after  leaving  Philadelphia  a  messenger  brought  the  news  of 
the  battle  of  Bimker  Hill,  and  on  being  informed  of  the  gallant  conduct 
of  the  militia  in  this  desperate  and  unequal  engagement,  he  exclaimed : 
"The  hberties  of  the  country  are  safe.  " 

Leaving  Schuyler  with  necessary  instructions  at  New  York  he 
hastened  on  his  journey.  Arriving  at  Cambridge  on  July  2,  he 
took  up  his  headquarters  at  the  Craigie  ]Mansion  (afterwards  occupied 
by  the  poet  Longfellow,  the  historian  Jared  Sparks,  and  the  Honorable 
Edward  Everett).  On  the  following  morning,  July  3,  with  the  army 
at  attention  on  Cambridge  Common,  taking  his  position  under  an 
ancient  elm  tree  (which  is  still  standing)  surrounded  by  his  staff  and  a 
large  concourse  of  civihans,  Washington  drew  his  sword  and  formally 
assumed  command  of  the  American  army. 

Investigation  soon  proved  that  serious  conditions  confronted  the 
commander-in-chief.  He  had  assumed  command  of  fourteen  thousand 
five  hundred  raw  provincials,  hastily  drawn  from  every  trade  and  pro- 
fession. Many  of  these  were  without  previous  military  training  or 
experience  and  poorly  clad,  while  all  of  them  were  inadequately  sup- 
plied with  the  munitions  of  war,  yet  with  this  undrilled  and  unskilled 
force  of  rustics  he  was  to  measure  arms  with  the  greatest  mihtary 
power  in  the  world. 

There  were,  nevertheless,  some  encouraging  prospects.  Most  of 
his  officers  were  seasoned  veterans  of  the  French  War,  of  known  ability, 
and  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  in  which  four  hundred  and  fifty  provin- 
cials had  given  up  their  lives,  left  no  doubt  of  the  iron  nerve  of  the 
colonial  volunteer.  He  was  the  equal,  in  point  of  courage,  of  Eng- 
land's bravest  grenadiers,  and  Washington  saw  that  with  proper 
training  and  equipment  of  the  force  at  hand  the  cause  of  the  colonies 
was  safe. 

His  repeated  suppHcations  to  Congress  and  to  the  colonial  gov- 
ernors for  necessary  supplies,  inunediately  after  assuming  command, 
show  conclusively  the  difficulties  confronting  the  commander-in- 
chief  from  the  very  beginning,  and  the  failure  of  Congress  to  supply 
his  wants  through  the  ensuing  years  of  the  tedious  struggle  explains 
the  Fabian  policy  which  he  pursued  through  the  long  years  of  suffer- 
ing and  disaster. 

While  the  death  of  Warren  and  his  compatriots  at  Bunker  Hill 
had  wrapped  all  New  England  in  mourning,  it  had  also  aroused  the 
spirit  of  vindictive  hate  for  the  British  redcoats  throughout  the  Ameri- 


112  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

can  colonies  and  had  summoned  sympathetic  legions  from  the  most 
distant  provinces  to  avenge  the  wrongs  of  their  compatriots  in  the 
north.  Among  those  who  came  was  Captain  Daniel  Morgan,  who 
had  been  with  Washington  in  his  border  wars.  He  was  the  first  to 
respond  from  Virginia  and,  within  ten  days  after  receiving  his  com- 
mission, enlisted  ninety-six  riflemen  with  whom  he  marched  from 
Winchester  to  Cambridge,  a  distance  of  nearly  six  hundred  miles,  in 
less  than  three  weeks.  It  was  a  hardy  band  of  backwoods  pioneers, 
whose  deadly  aim  and  reckless  courage  would  later  prove  a  scourge  to 
England's  seasoned  regulars.  Notwithstanding  the  occasional  arrival 
of  fresh  troops  from  other  colonies,  to  lift  for  a  while  their  drooping 
spirits,  the  investment  proved  a  tiresome  and  discouraging  vigil. 
For,  to  the  amazement  of  the  American  commander,  the  British 
showed  no  disposition  to  become  aggressive,  and  scarcity  of  munitions 
of  war  prevented  him  from  taking  the  offensive. 

Thus  wore  away  the  tedious  hours  of  summer,  and  fall  and  winter 
came  slowly  on  without  important  developments  in  the  situation  at 
Boston.  In  the  meantime  Mount  Vernon  was  threatened  by  Vir- 
ginia's discredited  governor,  Dunmore,  who  still  continued  his  pirat- 
ical incursions  along  the  water  courses,  and  Washington,  becoming 
uneasy  about  "the  folks  at  home,"  wrote  his  wife,  requesting  her  to 
join  him  at  Cambridge.  In  compliance  with  this  invitation,  Mrs. 
Washington,  with  her  son,  John  Parke  Custis,  and  his  wife,  arrived  at 
headquarters  December  1 1 ,  to  the  very  great  satisfaction  and  relief  of 
the  general. 

To  enliven  the  camp,  the  ladies  of  Cambridge  had  instituted  a 
series  of  social  functions.  While  these  hospitable  diversions,  to  some 
extent,  broke  the  monotony  of  army  life  and  proved  a  source  of  enjoy- 
ment to  many  of  the  officers,  they  entailed  upon  the  commander-in- 
chief  certain  social  duties  which  he  gladly  transferred  to  Mrs.  Wash- 
ington and  which  she,  with  an  eye  to  his  comfort,  very  graciously 
accepted. 

The  death  of  Montgomery,  the  wounding  of  Arnold  and  the 
capture  of  Daniel  Morgan  and  many  of  his  riflemen  at  Quebec,  where 
the  latter  two,  with  a  detachment  of  i,ioo  men,  had  gone  from  Cam- 
bridge, produced  a  melancholy  effect  upon  the  colonial  forces,  which 
was  not  entirely  dispelled  by  the  unexpected  evacuation  of  the  beleag- 
ured  city  on  the  17th  of  March,  1776. 

Washington  entered  Boston  on  the  20th  and,  after  restoring 
order  and  establishing  a  system  of  civil  government,  immediately 


WASHINGTON   IN   THE   REVOLUTION.  1X3 

began  the  transportation  of  his  troops  to  New  York,  whither  he 
supposed  the  EngUsh  had  gone  and  where  he  arrived  on  April  13,  1776. 

While  General  Washington  had  been  devoting  his  attention  to  the 
military  organization  in  the  north,  his  friends  and  former  associates 
in  Virginia  had  not  been  idle.  The  committee  selected  to  "place  the 
colony  in  a  proper  state  of  defence"  was  diligently  engaged  in  the 
performance  of  that  duty.  Military  rendezvous  were  established 
throughout  the  province,  and  the  cities  and  towns,  transformed  into 
military  camps,  resounded  with  the  beat  of  drum  and  blast  of  bugle. 
Nor  was  the  legislative  body  unmindful  of  the  serious  situation  con- 
fronting them.  Conditions  were  rapidly  crystallizing  the  spirit  of 
independence;  they  fully  realized  that  "war  was  inevitable."  "Let 
it  come"  was  the  slogan  on  every  tongue. 

On  May  6,  1776,  just  six  weeks  after  the  evacuation  of  Boston, 
the  convention  assembled  in  Williamsburg.  It  was  tlie  sixth  and  last 
of  the  emergency  assemblies  by  which  the  province  had  been  governed 
since  Dunmore  dissolved  the  burgesses  in  1774.  From  that  time 
(1776),  constitutional  government  took  its  rightful  place. 

A  resolute,  determined  band  were  those  friends  and  former 
associates  of  Washington  who  gathered  in  Williamsburg  on  that 
memorable  occasion.  They  had  to  deal  with  problems  that  would 
afifect  the  future  welfare  of  the  human  family  and  little  time  was  lost 
in  desultory  discussion.  Thomas  Nelson  undoubtedly  expressed  the 
sense  of  the  entire  assembly  when  he  declared,  "  Having  weighed  the 
argument  on  both  sides,  I  am  clearly  of  the  opinion,  we  must,  as  we 
value  the  Hberties  of  America,  or  even  her  existence,  without  a 
moment's  delay,  declare  for  independence,"  and  this  they  proceeded 
to  do  by  unanimously  adopting  the  following  resolutions : 

Resolved  unanimously,  That  the  delegates  appointed  to  represent  this  colony 
in  General  Congress  be  instructed  to  propose  to  that  respectable  body  to  declare 
the  United  Colonies  free  and  independent  states,  absolved  from  all  allegiance  to  or 
dependence  upon  the  crown  or  parliament  of  Great  Britain,  and  that  they  give  the 
assent  of  this  colony  to  such  declaration,  and  to  whatever  measures  may  be  thought 
proper  and  necessary  by  the  Congress  for  forming  foreign  alliances  and  a  confedera- 
tion of  the  colonies  at  such  a  time  and  in  the  manner  as  to  them  shall  seem  best: 

Provided,  That  the  power  of  forming  government  for  and  the  regulations  of  the 
internal  concerns  of  each  colony  be  left  to  the  respective  colonial  legislatures. 

Resolved  unanimously,  That  a  committee  be  appointed  to  prepare  a  Declaration 
of  Rights,  and  such  a  plan  of  government  as  will  be  most  likely  to  maintain  peace  and 
order  in  this  colony  and  secure  substantial  and  equal  liberty  to  the  people. 


114  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN  AND   THE   MASON. 

By  these  resolutions,  drawn  by  Edmund  Pendleton  and  pre- 
sented by  Thomas  Nelson,  directing  the  Virginia  delegates  in  Congress 
to  propose  for  that  body  to  "declare  the  United  Colonies  free  and 
independent  states, "  the  Virginia  convention  took  the  first  step  which 
led  to  the  Declaration  of  Independence  on  the  part  of  the  United 
Colonies.*  On  the  next  day  the  momentous  resolves  were  read  to  the 
troops  assembled  at  Williamsburg  and  received  by  the  provincial  army 
with  joyous  acclamation.  "Camion  thundered  and  the  American 
flag  was  raised  on  the  capitol. " 

Whatever  might  be  the  action  of  Congress,  the  final  decision  of 
Virginia  had  been  made — she  was  to  be  an  independent  common- 
wealth. On  the  15th  a  committee  of  twenty-eight  was  appointed  to 
prepare  a  Declaration  of  Rights  and  constitution  for  the  new  republic. 
Among  this  committee  were  Meriwether  Smith,  James  Mercer,  Robert 
Carter  Nicholas,  Patrick  Henry,  Richard  Bland,  Thomas  Ludwell 
Lee,  Dudley  Diggs,  John  Blair,  John  Page  and  Edmund  Randolph, 
an  illustrious  group,  and,  almost  to  a  man,  they  were  descendants  of 
the  political  refugees.  On  the  i6th  James  Madison  was  added  to  the 
committee,  and  on  the  17th  George  Mason,  one  of  the  greatest  men  of 
a  great  age,  was  also  added. 

Mason  was  a  farmer  and  lived  at  Gunston  Hall,  only  a  few  miles 
distant  from  Mount  Vernon.  It  will  be  recalled  that  he  had  been  on 
the  Truro  vestry  with  General  (then  Colonel)  Washington,  and  while 
averse  to  public  life,  from  his  retirement  he  had  ably  defended  the 
cause  of  the  colonist.  At  the  instance  of  his  neighbor,  Washington, 
he  had  drawn  the  non-importation  agreement  in  1769;  was  the  author 
of  the  Fairfax  County  Resolves,  in  1774;  and  later  was  one  of  the 
committee,  with  Jefferson,  Pendleton,  Wythe  and  Thomas  Ludwell 
Lee,  all  staunch  supporters  of  the  established  church  (except  Jeffer- 
son), who  prepared  the  bill  for  religious  freedom — creating,  as  it  did, 
the  first  statutory  law  for  vouchsafing  and  protecting  man  in  his  right 
to  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience. 

In  view  of  this,  it  is  not  surprising  that,  although  the  committee 
appointed  to  draft  the  declaration  of  rights  and  constitution  for  the 
new  government  was  composed  of  some  of  the  ablest  members  of  the 
Virginia  bar,  Mason,  the  "  farmer-member  "  from  Fairfax,  was  selected 
to  prepare  both  instruments.  Just  nine  days  after  his  appointment 
on  the  committee,  on  the  27th  of  May  (1776),  the  declaration  was 

*On  April  12th,  nearly  a  month  prior  to  the  action  of  the  Virginia  convention,  the  Con- 
tinental Congress  of  North  Carolina  empowered  its  representatives  in  the  General  Congress  to 
Concur  with  the  delegates  of  other  colonies  in  declaring  independence,  etc.,  whereas,  the  Virginia 
resolution  directed  their  representatives  to  Propose,  hence  the  action  of  Mr.  Lee,  which  led  up  to 
the  Declaration  of  Independence.     (See  page  116.) 


/    /nCU.  a^/  f/Un^t^ cytt^^ ^^//^  Azc,i^^,^,^,^4<n/^y-X^i ^J 


<>-r'. 


/2ccf>(^   k'dln:^  iv^vrr^^  id  /^//^^>/2J^,  y^A^tPi:^.  yy^a^^J^c^rt.t^.^O 


^i^t.  ^/pT^*^^'^*^  C/tA^6/i^  ^^^^*yi  «>^i^^  cZo-i^^i^ /jiyj^^ 


WASHINGTON   IN   THE   REVOLUTION.  II 5 

reported  from  the  special  committee.  It  was  referred  to  the  com- 
mittee of  the  whole  convention  and,  after  careful  consideration,  was 
finally  adopted  on  the  12th  of  June.  On  the  29th  of  the  same  month, 
five  days  before  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  the 
new  constitution  was  also  adopted.  Thus  was  estabUshed  the  first 
independent,  constitutional  government  in  the  history  of  mankind, 
where,  under  God,  the  will  of  the  people  is  the  absolute  and  indis- 
putable power  that  governs. 

There  had  been  other  forms  of  so-called  repubhcs  in  the  adminis- 
tration of  which  restricted  participation  had  been  nominally  accorded, 
or  rather  limited  suffrage  granted,  usually  as  a  peace  offering  to  stifle 
public  clamor.  But  even  this  nominal  voice  had  been  invariably 
subjected  to  the  arbitrary  whims  of  some  artful  and  ambitious  schemer 
or,  what  was  infinitely  worse,  some  self -constituted  autocrat,  animated 
solely  by  sordid  and  selfish  motives,  but  there,  in  an  old-fashioned 
village,  on  the  frontier  of  western  civilization,  from  the  healthy  and 
untrammeled  genius  of  rural  pedagogues  and  planters  had  sprung  into 
life  a  system  of  constitutional  rule  where  the  will  of  the  people,  voiced 
by  their  votes,  was  sovereign  and  supreme.  And  it  will  continue, 
under  the  wise  provisions  of  its  basic  law,  until  debased  manhood 
shall  forfeit  this  inestimable  birthright  by  corrupt  political  practices 
and  moral  turpitude. 

An  eminent  historian  says : 

The  Bill  of  Rights  may  be  called  not  only  the  Magna  Charter  of  Virginia  but  of 
America.  It  first  announced  the  great  principles  upon  which  the  Americans  meant 
to  rest  in  the  approaching  struggle  and,  after  a  century  of  republican  freedom,  there 
is  nothing  to  add  to  this  great  protest  in  favor  of  the  rights  of  man. 

It  is  truly  the  most  remarkable  paper  of  the  epoch,  and  was  the 
foundation  of  the  great  American  assertion  of  right.  Jefferson  went 
to  it  for  the  phrases  and  expressions  of  the  Declaration,  and  it  remains 
the  original  chart  by  which  free  governments  must  steer  their  course 
in  aU  coming  time.  The  writer  lays  down  the  fundamental  principle 
that  "all  men  are  free  and  independent  and  have  certain  inherent 
rights  of  which,  when  they  enter  into  a  state  of  society,  they  cannot 
by  any  compact  deprive  or  divest  their  posterity,"  and  these  rights 
are  named.  "All  power,"  says  he,  "is  vested  in  and  consequently 
derived  from  the  people;"  and  "magistrates  are  their  trustees  and 
serv-ants  and  are  at  all  times  amenable  to  them."  He  deals  with 
reUgion  in  the  spirit  of  the  liberator.  "Religion,"  he  says,  "is  the 
duty  which  we  owe  to  our  Creator  and  the  manner  of  discharging  it 
can  be  directed  only  by  reason  and  conviction,  not  by  force  or  violence ; 
and  therefore  all  men  are  equally  entitled  to  the  free  exercise  of 


Il6  WASHINGTON  THE   MAN  AND  THE   MASON. 

religion  according  to  the  dictates  of  conscience."  Lastly,  he  says, 
"  the  blessing  of  liberty  can  only  be  preserved  by  a  firm  adherence  to 
justice,  moderation,  temperance,  frugality,  and  virtue,  and  by  frequent 
recurrence  to  fundamental  principles." 

Colonel  George  Mason  was  an  "American  of  Americans"  and 
clung  to  his  right  with  all  the  vehemence  of  his  strong  nature.  "  If  I 
can  only  hve, "  said  he,  "  to  see  the  American  union  firmly  fixed,  and 
free  government  established  in  our  western  world,  and  can  leave  to  my 
children  but  a  crust  of  bread  and  liberty,  I  shall  die  satisfied,  and  say 
with  the  Psalmist,  'Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in 
peace.'"  In  the  Revolution  he  wrote,  "I  will  risk  the  last  penny  of 
my  fortune  and  the  last  drop  of  my  blood  upon  the  issue ; "  and  in  his 
will  he  enjoined  his  sons  "never  to  let  the  motive  of  private  interest 
or  ambition  induce  them  to  betray,  nor  the  terrors  of  poverty  and 
disgrace,  or  the  fear  of  danger  or  death,  deter  them  from  asserting  the 
liberty  of  their  country,  and  endeavoring  to  transmit  to  their  pos- 
terity those  sacred  rights  to  which  they  themselves  were  bom.  "  It  was 
the  spirit  of  the  Virginians  in  all  generations,  now  facing  the  new 
times,  as  it  had  faced  the  old.  Such  were  the  foundations  of  free 
government  laid  broad  and  deep  by  this  farmer-friend  of  Washington. 
Will  posterity  continue  to  enjoy  the  blessings  he  gave  them  and  profit 
by  the  example  he  set?  Or  will  it  surrender  these  inestimable 
privileges  to  the  demands  of  avarice  and  political  experiment? 

Through  the  courtesy  of  Miss  Kate  Mason  Roland,  biographer 
and  a  descendant  of  Colonel  Mason,  we  have  secured  and  publish  a 
facsimile  of  this  remarkable  document,  the  original  of  which,  now  an 
invaluable  manuscript,  is  in  the  State  Library  of  Richmond,  having 
been  presented  to  the  commonwealth  by  General  John  Mason,  son  of 
the  author,  February  15,  1844. 

In  obedience  to  the  resolution  of  the  Virginia  convention,  on  the 
7th  of  June,  1776,  Richard  Henry  Lee  moved  in  Congress  that  "These 
United  Colonies  are  and  ought  to  be  free  and  independent  states  and 
that  all  political  connection  between  them  and  the  State  of  Great 
Britain  is  and  ought  to  be  totally  dissolved.  " 

The  motion  was  seconded  by  John  Adams  and,  after  considerable 
debate,  a  committee  of  five  was  appointed  to  draw  up  the  declaration. 
Richard  Henry  Lee  by  parliamentary  usage  would  have  been  the 
chairman  of  this  committee,  but  the  extreme  illness  of  his  wife  called 
him  away  to  Virginia  and  the  position  was  conferred  upon  Thomas 
Jefferson,  who,  though  a  very  young  man,  had  steadily  grown  in  pubhc 


ROGER  SHERMAN 


ROBERT  R  LIVINGSTON 


COMMITTEE  ON  DECLARATION'  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


WASHINGTON   IN   THE   REVOLUTION.  I17 

favor  and  prominence.  His  zealous  attachment  to  the  cause  of  the 
colonies  and  his  powerful  defence  of  their  claims  as  set  forth  in  his 
summary  view  of  the  rights  of  British  America,  written  in  1774,  ^^d 
in  which  is  the  germ  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  pointed  him 
out  as  the  logical  author  of  the  Declaration  itself.  With  such  unusual 
men  as  Benjamin  Franklin,  Roger  Sherman,  John  Adams  and  Robert 
R.  Livingston  as  associates,  a  less  extraordinary  document  than  it 
proved  to  be  would  have  been  disappointing  and  unsatisfactory.  Mr. 
Jefferson  drew  the  now  famous  instrument,  which  was  slightly  altered 
at  the  suggestion  of  the  several  members  of  the  committee,  as  shown 
by  the  interlineations  on  the  copy  of  the  original.     (See  appendix.) 

This  Resolution,  declaring  the  colonies  free  and  independent,  was 
adopted  by  Congress  on  the  2d  day  of  July,  and  the  Declaration,  pre- 
sented by  the  committee,  was  signed  on  the  4th.  On  the  9th,  General 
Washington  caused  it  to  be  read  at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  at  the 
head  of  each  brigade  of  the  army.  Washington  hailed  the  Declaration 
with  joy,  for,  while  it  was  but  a  formal  recognition  of  existing  con- 
ditions, it  put  an  end  to  all  those  temporizing  hopes  of  reconciliation 
which  had  clogged  the  military  action  of  the  country. 

The  rejoicing,  however,  was  of  short  duration,  as  on  the  27th  inst. 
came  the  disastrous  battle  of  Long  Island,  in  which  five  hundred 
Americans  were  killed  and  wounded  and  one  thousand  and  ninety- 
seven  made  prisoners.  This  crushing  defeat  cast  a  pall  over  the  whole 
country  and  was  a  forerunner  of  the  trials  and  disasters  of  years  of 
bitter  struggle.  Now  and  then  victory  came,  but  treason  and  poverty, 
suffering  and  anguish  were  ever  present. 

We  cannot  foUow  day  by  day  the  varying  fortunes  of  the  widely 
separated  bands  of  patriots  in  that  heroic  contest  but,  with  brief 
allusion  to  the  closing  scenes  and  last  days  of  the  conflict,  must  pass 
on  to  a  synopsis  of  the  civil  hfe  of  our  subject. 

Of  the  eighty-nine  engagements  in  the  eight  years  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, General  Washington  personally  commanded  in  only  nine,  viz., 
Long  Island,  August  27,  1776;  White  Plains,  N.  Y.,  October  28,  1776; 
Trenton,  N.  J.,  December  26,  1776;  second  battle  of  Trenton,  January 
2,  1777;  Princeton,  N.  J.,  January  3,  1777;  Brandywine,  Delaware, 
September  11,  1777;  Germantown,  Pennsylvania,  October  4,  1777; 
Monmouth,  N.  J.,  June  28,  1778 ;  and  the  Siege  of  Yorktown,  Virginia, 
October  6  to  19,  1781.  This  of  course  does  not  include  the  investment 
of  Boston  or  numerous  small  skirmishes. 

General  Washington  really  won  but  three  decisive   battles — 


Il8  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

Trenton,  Princeton  and  Yorktown.  Several  of  the  others  were  drawn 
and  in  some  he  was  badly  defeated.  From  this  it  is  evident  that  most 
of  the  general  engagements  were  fought  by  Washington's  subordinate 
officers. 

Generals  Sumter  and  Greene  each  commanded  in  five ;  Lincoln  in 
four;  Gates,  three;  Sullivan,  two;  Wayne,  two;  Putnam,  two;  etc. 
Indeed  a  great  many  of  the  principal  battles  were  fought  by  colonels 
and  not  a  few  by  majors  and  captains.  There  were  twenty-four 
engagements  in  South  Carolina,  seventeen  in  New  York ;  nine  in  New 
Jersey;  seven  in  Pennsylvania;  five  in  Virginia;  four  in  Georgia;  four 
in  North  Carolina;  two  in  Massachusetts;  two  in  Connecticut;  one  in 
Vermont;  one  in  Delaware;  one  in  Rhode  Island;  one  in  Maine,  and 
several  in  Canada. 

The  royal  army,  splendidly  equipped  and  flushed  with  frequent 
victories,  was  only  one,  and  not  the  worst  of  the  many  formidable 
enemies  confronting  Washington  and  his  loyal  few.  With  a  timid  and 
vacillating  congress  faltering  at  every  step,  and  with  treacherous, 
hidden  enemies,  skulking  in  every  camp,  seeking  opportunities  to 
promote  their  loathsome  intrigues  and  gratify  their  unworthy  ambi- 
tions by  impugning  the  motives  and  maligning  the  character  of  the 
commander-in-chief,  despair  was  more  than  once  written  on  the  face 
of  every  self-respecting  officer  and  man  cognizant  of  the  disgraceful 
and  dangerous  situation. 

The  treason  of  Arnold  has  been  signalled  as  the  crowning  act  of 
infamy  of  these  bitter  years  of  strife.  His  name,  dishonored,  is  a 
synonym  of  shame  and  his  acts  of  early  heroism  are  all  forgotten  in  the 
storm  of  public  malediction.  Still,  the  famous  traitor,  black  as  he 
was  and  is,  stands  not  alone  in  his  perfidy.  There  were  many  other 
instances  where  the  base  conduct  of  trusted  and  confidential  servants, 
holding  high  and  responsible  positions,  forfeited  all  claim  to  honored 
memory,  and  not  a  few  of  the  ranking  officers  themselves  also  deserved 
the  punishment  meted  out  to  the  famous  culprit. 

How  black  indeed  through  the  intervening  years  appear  these 
shallow  schemers  with  their  shady  cabals  and  envious  intrigues,  when 
compared  with  such  heroic  souls  as  the  patient,  generous  Schuyler; 
the  unselfish,  valiant  Lafayette;  Steuben,  DeKalb  and  Kosciuszko; 
the  chivalrous  Greene  and  Sullivan ;  the  rugged  Sumter,  Putnam  and 
Stark;  the  jovial  Knox;  the  heroic  Morgan;  the  romantic  Wayne, 
Marion,  Pickens  and  Lee,  and  a  host  of  others,  whose  fame  will  live 
with  that  of  their  peerless  leader  as  noble  examples  of  fidelity  to  trust ! 


GROUP  OF  YOUXG  REVOLUTIONARY  OFFICERS. 


WASHINGTON   IN  THE   REVOLUTION.  II 9 

And  how  small  those  wavering  pigmies  in  the  council  chamber  appear 
to  be  by  the  side  of  Franklin,  Adams,  Jay,  Hamilton,  Jefferson,  Mason, 
the  Clintons,  the  Laurens,  the  Morrises,  the  Livingstons  and  their 
co-workers,  who  bravely  steered  the  battered  ship  of  state  through  its 
stormiest  sea  to  a  peaceful  harbor  and,  after  the  din  of  battle  had 
passed  away,  finally  laid,  firm  and  strong  on  the  base  of  human  liberty, 
the  pillars  of  our  governmental  temple. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  settle  upon  the  exact  moment  when  the 
cause  of  the  colonies  reached  its  lowest  ebb.  We  have  centered  our 
thoughts  around  Middlebrook  and  Valley  Forge  with  their  harrowing 
tales  of  privation  and  suffering  and  have  forgotten  the  cold  and  hunger 
of  the  intervening  and  overlapping  years.  We  remember  Yorktown 
and  Trenton  and  forget  the  anguish  and  suffering  which  preceded  and 
followed.  If  there  was  one  period  of  gloom  and  despondency  deeper 
than  another  it  probably  came  just  before  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis, 
in  1 781. 

Washington  wrote  to  Colonel  Laurens,*  the  American  minister 
at  Paris,  March,  1781: 

Day  does  not  follow  night  more  certainly  than  it  brings  with  it  some  additional 
proof  of  the  impracticability  of  carrying  on  the  war  without  the  aids  you  were 
directed  to  solicit.  As  an  honest  and  candid  man  I  assert  this,  that  without  a  foreign 
loan,  our  present  force,  which  is  but  the  remnant  of  an  army,  cannot  be  kept  together 
in  this  campaign.   .    .   .    We  are  at  this  hour  suspended  in  the  balance. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  the  enemy  determined  to 
invade  the  "  Old  Dominion. "  It  was  singular  that  they  had  not  done 
so  before.  The  state  was  entirely  defenceless.  She  had  stripped  her- 
self bare  to  supply  the  army  with  fighting  material,  and  the  whole 
country  below  the  mountains  was  absolutely  unprotected  except  by 
the  militia,  composed  for  the  most  part  of  old  men  and  boys. 

The  invasion  came  in  January,  1781.  Benedict  Arnold  had  been 
placed  in  command  of  about  seventeen  hundred  men  and  with  this 
force  landed  at  Portsmouth  in  Chesapeake  Bay,  and  shortly  after- 
wards moved  up  the  James  River  to  the  city  of  Richmond,  almost 
without  resistance.  Baron  Steuben,  who  had  been  in  command  of 
military  affairs  in  Virginia,  had  only  a  short  while  before  forwarded 
his  troops  to  General  Greene  in  the  Carolinas,  and  "Traitor  Arnold" 
entered  Richmond  on  the  5th  of  Januar}^  1781,  unopposed  except  by 
about  two  hundred  poorly  equipped  militia.  During  the  following 
night  Richmond  "resounded  with  the  drunken  orgies  of  the  British 

•Colonel  Laurens  was  commissioned  to  negotiate  a  loan  from  the  French. 


I20  WASHINGTON  THE   MAN  AND  THE   MASON, 

soldiers"  and  then  Arnold  fell  back  to  Westover,  about  twenty-five 
miles  down  the  James,  thence  to  Portsmouth,  harassed  on  the  way  by 
small  bands  of  hastily  assembled  provincials. 

The  real  invasion  came  with  the  spring.  It  was  now  plainly 
the  intention  of  the  enemy  to  carry  the  war  into  Virginia.  Lord 
Comwallis  moved  up  from  the  Carolinas,  and  in  April  General  Phillips 
succeeded  Arnold  and  with  a  force  of  two  thousand  five  hundred  men 
ascended  the  James  River,  burned  the  warehouses  at  Petersburg,  and 
then  advanced  on  Richmond,  a  few  miles  distant.  On  arriving  at 
Manchester  he  was  forced  to  halt,  as  the  hills  around  Richmond,  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  James  River,  were  occupied  by  twelve  hundred 
regulars  under  the  young  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  whom  Washington 
had  despatched  to  the  defence  of  Virginia. 

This  ardent  young  Frenchman  (Gilbert  Mottier)  with  Baron 
DeKalb  had  landed  near  Charleston,  South  CaroHna,  April  25,  1777, 
when  but  nineteen  years  of  age  and  was  immediately  ofi'ered  a  com- 
mand in  the  continental  army.  This  he  declined  but  forthwith  raised 
and  equipped  a  regiment  at  his  own  expense  and  then  entered  the  ser- 
vice as  a  volunteer  without  pay.  In  July,  1777,  he  was  commissioned 
a  major-general  and  upon  the  recommendation  of  Washington,  on  the 
first  of  December,  1788,  Congress  appointed  him  to  the  command  of  a 
division.  Thus  we  find  this  remarkable  youth  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
three  pitted  against  England's  veteran  soldier,  Comwallis. 

How  well  he  conducted  himself  the  observant  reader  will  soon 
perceive.  He  had  from  the  first  won  and  maintained  the  confidence 
of  the  commander-in-chief,  and  his  assignment  to  the  command  of  a 
detached  corps  in  so  important  an  arena  as  Virginia  indicates  this  fact. 
Subsequent  events  fully  justified  this  favorable  opinion,  which  ere 
long  ripened  into  the  warmest  personal  friendship. 

General  PhiUips  declined  an  engagement  with  him  and  returned 
towards  Petersburg,  whither  Lafayette  followed.  During  the  short 
battle  which  ensued.  General  PhiUips  died  from  natural  causes  and 
was  buried  in  old  Blanford  graveyard,  "  the  proudest  man, "  Jefferson 
said,  "of  the  proudest  nation  on  earth." 

Comwallis  arrived  in  May  and  took  command  of  all  the  forces  in 
Virginia,  amounting  to  eight  or  ten  thousand  men,  among  whom  was 
the  celebrated  Colonel  Tarleton  with  his  flying  battalions  of  cavalry. 
Comwallis  was  sanguine  of  success  and  confidently  wrote,  "The  boy 
cannot  escape  me. "  Truly  the  movements  of  Lafayette  would  indi- 
cate a  desire  to  do  this  as  he  promptly  retired  upon  the  advance  of  the 


w 
o 

w 

o 
o 


WASHINGTON   IN   THE   REVOLUTION.  121 

English  forces  and,  falling  back  towards  the  Rappahannock  River, 
obstinately  declined  being  brought  to  an  engagement. 

In  the  meantime  Tarleton's  dragoons  proved  a  scourge  to  Vir- 
ginia, as  they  had  been  to  the  Carolinas.  "They  went,"  says  a 
prominent  writer,  "with  torch  and  sword  through  the  whole  James 
River  region;  burned  houses;  carried  off  horses  and  cattle,  cutting  the 
throats  of  colts  which  were  found  too  young  to  use,  and  even  made  a 
dash  to  capture  the  assembly  then  in  session  at  Charlottesville  when 
Governor  Jefferson  made  his  escape  by  fleeing  into  the  neighboring 
mountains. " 

CornwaUis,  first  despairing  of  and  then  refusing  an  engagement 
with  Lafayette,  who  had  been  reinforced  on  the  Rapidan  by  nine 
hundred  Pennsylvanians  under  General  Anthony  Wayne  and  an 
additional  force  of  militia  under  Baron  Steuben,  slowly  wended  his 
way  down  the  peninsula  between  the  James  and  the  York  rivers.  At 
Williamsburg,  and  near  Jamestown,  Lafayette  forced  two  small 
engagements.  Comwallis,  now  the  pursued,  crossed  the  river  at 
James  Island  and  dropped  down  to  Portsmouth,  from  which  place,  in 
July,  he  transported  his  troops  to  Yorktown  where  he  determined  to 
establish  post.  In  the  meantime  Washington,  who  had  been  dili- 
gently preparing  for  an  investment  at  New  York,  upon  receipt  of 
information  of  Comwallis's  movements  hastily  reversed  his  plans. 

Colonel  John  Laurens,  sent  as  minister  to  France  to  negotiate  a 
loan,  had  not  only  been  successful  in  this  particular,  but  had  secured 
the  assistance  of  a  French  naval  force  as  well.  Late  in  August, 
Washington,  then  on  the  Hudson,  opposite  New  York,  received  infor- 
mation through  Lafayette  that  Count  de  Grasse,  with  a  French  fleet, 
had  sailed  from  San  Domingo  and  was  coming  up  the  American  coast 
to  co-operate  in  the  movement  against  the  English,  then  at  Yorktown. 
This  intelligence  changed  the  entire  situation.  All  attempt  upon  New 
York  was  abandoned  and,  leaving  only  a  small  force  to  keep  up  a  pre- 
tence of  investment  and  deceive  CUnton,  Washington  rushed  the  bulk 
of  his  army,  including  the  six  thousand  troops  under  Rochambeau  in 
Rhode  Island,  to  the  south. 

Having  safely  crossed  the  Hudson,  the  two  armies  on  the  25th 
commenced  their  several  lines  of  march  towards  the  Jersies,  and  on  the 
2d  of  September  the  American  troops  passed  through  Philadelphia, 
followed  closely  by  Rochambeau's  French. 

Washington  left  Philadelphia  on  the  5th  of  September  en  route  for 
the  head  of  the  Elk,  whither  the  troops  had  preceded  him  and  were 


122  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN  AND   THE   MASON. 

beginning  to  embark.  He  arrived  on  the  6th,  and  on  the  8th,  accom- 
panied by  de  Rochambeau  and  several  other  officers,  Washington 
crossed  the  Susquehanna  and  pushed  forward  to  Baltimore.  On  the 
9th,  he  left  Baltimore  at  early  dawn,  accompanied  only  by  Colonel 
Humphries  and  set  out  for  Mount  Vernon. 

Six  years  had  elapsed  since  last  he  was  under  its  roof;  six  years  of  toil,  of  danger 
and  of  constant  anxiety,  and  during  all  this  time,  amid  all  his  military  care,  he  had 
kept  up  a  regular  weekly  correspondence  with  his  steward  or  agent,  regulating  the 
affairs  of  his  rural  establishment  with  as  much  exactness  as  he  did  those  of  the  army. 

On  the  loth  he  was  joined  at  Mount  Vernon  by  his  suite  and  on 
the  nth  General  Chastellux  and  his  aides-de-camp  arrived.  Mount 
Vernon  was  now  crowded  with  guests  who  were  all  entertained  in  the 
ample  style  of  old  Virginia  hospitality.  On  the  12th,  tearing  himself 
away  once  more  from  the  home  of  his  heart,  Washington,  with  his 
mihtary  associates,  continued  onward  to  join  Lafayette  at  Williams- 
burg, where  he  arrived  on  the  evening  of  the  14th. 

After  despatching  Count  Fersen,  one  of  Rochambeau's  aides,  to 
hurry  on  the  French  troops,  and  making  other  necessary  arrangements, 
on  the  1 8th,  in  company  with  Rochambeau,  Chastellux,  General  Knox 
and  du  Portail,  he  paid  a  flying  visit  to  the  French  fleet,  lying  in  Lynn- 
haven  Bay  just  above  Cape  Henry,  where  he  was  received  by  Admiral 
de  Grasse  with  marked  attention.  After  arranging  a  plan  for  the 
co-operation  of  the  land  and  naval  forces,  Washington  returned  to 
Williamsburg,  arriving  there  on  the  evening  of  the  2  2d.  No  time  was 
lost  in  the  transportation  of  the  French  and  American  troops  down 
the  Chesapeake  Bay  and  up  the  James  River  to  Williamsburg,  most 
of  them  arriving  by  the  25th.  On  the  28th,  the  combined  armies, 
numbering  now  some  twelve  thousand,  exclusive  of  the  five  thousand 
state  militia  under  General  Thomas  Nelson,  marched  from  Williams- 
burg towards  Yorktown,  about  twelve  miles  distance,  and  after  driv- 
ing in  the  pickets  and  some  patrols  of  cavalry  they  encamped  at  night 
within  two  miles  of  the  little  village. 

To  General  Lincoln  was  accorded  the  honor,  on  the  night  of  the 
6th  of  October,  of  opening  the  first  parallel  before  Yorktown.  By  the 
8th  the  parallel  was  completed,  the  batteries  in  readiness,  and  General 
Washington  opened  the  siege  by  firing  the  first  gun. 

We  must  not  neglect  to  narrate  an  incident  of  self-sacrificing 
patriotism  on  this  occasion.  Immediately  after  the  battle  had  begun 
General  Thomas  Nelson,  who  was  the  Governor  of  the  Commonwealth 
at  the  time,  was  asked  what  part  of  the  town  could  be  most  effectively 


WASHINGTON   IN   THE   REVOLUTION.  1 23 

cannonaded.  Pointing  to  a  large  handsome  house  on  a  rising  ground, 
which  he  designated  as  CornwaUis'  headquarters,  he  requested  that  it 
be  levelled.  It  proved  to  be  his  own.*  He  had  previously  pledged 
and  subsequently  surrendered  his  entire  fortune,  amounting  to  over  a 
hundred  thousand  dollars,  for  the  public  service.  The  house  is  still 
standing  and  is  one  of  the  beloved  landmarks  of  the  "Old  Dominion.  " 

On  the  night  of  the  nth,  the  second  parallel  was  opened  by  Baron 
Steuben's  division,  within  three  hundred  yards  of  the  works.  From 
this  moment  the  siege  was  pressed  vigorously  and  Washington  resolved 
to  storm  the  fortification.  It  was  arranged  that  Alexander  Hamilton 
should  lead  the  Americans,  commanded  by  Lafayette,  on  the  right; 
and  the  Baron  de  Viomenil  the  French,  under  Rochambeau,  on  the  left. 

About  nightfall,  October  14,  rockets  were  sent  up  as  a  signal  for 
attack.  It  was  a  silent  charge — not  a  gun  was  fired  by  the  Americans. 
The  colonials  passed  over  the  abatis  with  Hamilton  leading.  Placing 
his  foot  upon  the  shoulder  of  one  of  his  men,  he  lightly  mounted  the 
works,  followed  by  the  whole  line.  The  redoubts  were  taken  at  the 
point  of  the  bayonet  amid  the  wild  enthusiasm  of  the  American  troops. 
Once  in  possession,  Hamilton  sent  Viomenil  word  that  his  redoubt 
was  carried;  where  was  the  Baron? 

"TeU  the  Marquis,"  said  Viomenil,  "that  I  am  not  in  mine,  but 
will  be  in  five  minutes,"  and  he  bravely  kept  his  word.  When  the 
works  were  carried  on  the  right  and  left  and  the  mingled  cheers  of  the 
French  and  Americans  were  borne  to  Washington,  who  was  standing 
in  one  of  his  batteries  awaiting  the  result,  he  calmly  turned  to  General 
Knox  and  said,  "The  work  is  done  and  well  done."  The  work,  in 
fact,  was  done.  The  occupation  of  the  outer  line  of  redoubts  by  the 
Americans  virtually  decided  the  contest.  The  EngUsh  stiU  held  the 
inner  line,  but  these  were  covered  and  could  be  swept  by  the  American 
artillery.  The  British  commander  realized  that  his  situation  was 
now  desperate.  He  made  one  more  effort  to  escape  by  crossing  to 
Gloucester  point  but,  this  proving  ineffectual,  CornwaUis,  on  Octo- 
ber 17,  1 78 1,  proposed  a  cessation  of  hostilities  for  twenty-four  hours 
to  discuss  terms  of  surrender.  Commissioners  were  accordingly 
appointed  and  met  at  the  Moore  House,  the  old  Temple  Farm,  which 
had  once  been  the  residence  of  Governor  Spotswood,  who  had  made 
Benjamin  Franklin  the  first  postmaster-general  in  America. 

The  terms  agreed  upon  were  transcribed  and  sent  to  Lord  Corn- 
waUis for  his  signature  early  on  the  morning  of  October  19,  1781. 


•Memoirs  of  Lafayette. 


124  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

This  obtained  and,  all  the  conditions  being  agreed  to,  at  about  twelve 
o'clock  the  same  day  (October  19,  1781),  the  American  army  was 
drawn  up  in  two  separate  columns  about  a  mile  long,  and  facing  each 
other,  on  either  side  of  a  road  running  through  the  fields  south  of 
Yorktown.  On  the  right  were  the  American  troops  under  personal 
command  of  Washington,  on  the  left  the  French  under  Rochambeau ; 
and,  standing  near,  a  great  crowd  of  people  who  had  hastened  to  witness 
the  ceremony. 

It  took  place  at  the  hour  appointed.  The  British  troops  marched 
slowly  out  of  Yorktown,  with  drums  beating  but  colors  cased,  an 
indignity  which  had  been  inflicted  on  General  Lincoln  at  Charleston. 
The  Enghsh  commander  did  not  appear.  General  O'Hara,  who  was 
in  command,  rode  up  to  Washington,  saluted,  and  apologized  for  the 
absence  of  Lord  Comwallis,  who  was  not  well.  Washington  saluted 
in  response  and  pointed  to  General  Lincoln  as  the  officer  who  would 
receive  the  surrender.  O'Hara  then  presented  Lord  CornwaUis' 
sword  to  Lincoln,  it  was  at  once  returned  to  him,  and  the  surrender 
was  over. 

The  British  marched  between  the  American  lines  to  a  field  near  at 
hand,  where  they  stacked  arms.  Their  demeanor  was  gloomy  and 
incensed.  Some  of  them  hurled  their  muskets  on  the  ground,  and 
Colonel  Abercrombie  bit  the  hilt  of  his  sword  from  rage.  The  troops 
were  then  marched  back  to  Yorktown  under  an  American  guard. 

On  this  same  day,  and  nearly  at  the  hour  when  Lord  CornwaUis 
surrendered,  Sir  Henry  Clinton  sailed  from  New  York  with  thirty-five 
ships  and  seven  thousand  men  to  reinforce  him. 

This  virtually  closed  the  Revolutionary  War.  Several  small 
skirmishes  took  place  afterward,  the  last  being  at  James  Island,  S.  C, 
August,  1782,  when  the  Americans,  under  Captain  Wilmott,  attacked 
and  defeated  a  party  of  British,  which  was  really  the  last  blood  shed  in 
the  war  of  independence. 

The  British  prisoners  were  marched  to  Winchester,  Virginia,  and 
Frederick  in  Maryland.  Many  of  them  never  returned  to  the  mother- 
country ,  but  became  true  and  loyal  citizens  of  the  states.  CornwaUis 
on  parole  sailed  for  New  York,  while  Lafayette  took  advantage  of  the 
favorable  circumstance  to  pay  a  visit  to  his  family  in  France.  The 
Marquis  St.  Simon  embarked  his  troops  on  the  last  of  October  and 
Count  de  Grasse  made  sail  on  the  4th  of  November,  taking  with  him 
two  beautiful  horses  which  Washington  had  presented  him  as  a  token 
of  his  cordial  regard.     The  main  part  of  the  American  army  re-em- 


WASHINGTON   IN   THE   REVOLUTION.  1 25 

barked  for  the  head  of  the  Elk  and  returned  to  the  vicinity  of  New 
York  in  command  of  General  Lincoln,  while  Rochambeau,  with  his  six 
thousand  French  troops,  established  his  headquarters  at  Williamsburg. 

On  the  5th  of  November  Washington  arrived  at  "Eltham,"  the 
residence  of  Colonel  Bassett  in  New  Kent  County,  whither  he  had 
been  summoned  to  the  bedside  of  his  wife's  son,  John  Parke  Custis, 
who  had  been  stricken  with  camp  fever  while  serving  with  the  army  at 
Yorktown.  He  arrived  just  in  time  to  receive  the  last  blessings  of  his 
stepson.  The  deceased  had  been  an  object  of  Washington's  care 
from  early  childhood  and  been  cherished  by  him  with  paternal  affec- 
tion. Reared  under  his  watchful  care  and  instructions,  he  had  been 
trained  to  take  part  in  the  public  concerns  of  his  country,  and  had 
acquitted  himself  with  credit  as  a  member  of  the  Virginia  legislature. 
He  was  but  twenty-eight  years  old  at  the  time  of  his  death,  and  left  a 
widow  and  four  young  children.  It  was  an  unexpected  event,  and  the 
dying  scene  was  rendered  peculiarly  affecting  from  the  presence  of 
the  mother  and  wife  of  the  deceased. 

Washington  remained  several  days  at  Eltham  to  comfort  them  in 
their  afflictions.  As  a  consolation  to  Mrs.  Washington  in  her  bereave- 
ment, the  General  adopted  the  two  youngest  children  of  the  deceased, 
Nellie  and  George  Washington  Parke  Custis,  a  boy  and  girl,  who 
thenceforth  formed  a  part  of  his  immediate  family. 

From  Eltham,  the  General  proceeded  to  Mount  Vernon,  accom- 
panied by  members  of  his  staff  and  a  number  of  foreign  officers.  Stop- 
ping at  Fredericksburg,  he  paid  a  visit  to  his  aged  mother  and  with 
her  attended  the  reception  given  by  the  people  for  their  distinguished 
guests. 

So  soon  as  he  had  dismounted  in  the  midst  of  a  numerous  and  brilliant  suite  he 
sent  to  apprise  her  of  his  arrival  and  to  know  when  it  would  be  her  pleasure  to  receive 
him.  And  now,  mark  the  force  of  early  education  and  habits,  and  the  superiority  of 
the  Spartan  over  the  Persian  schools,  in  this  interview  of  the  great  Washington  with 
his  admirable  parent  and  instructor.  No  pageantry  of  war  proclaimed  his  coming — 
no  trumpets  sounded — no  banners  waved.  Alone,  and  on  foot,  the  marshal  of 
France,  the  general-in-chief  of  the  combined  armies  of  France  and  America,  the 
deliverer  of  his  country,  the  hero  of  the  age,  repaired  to  pay  his  humble  duty  to 
one  whom  he  venerated  as  the  author  of  his  being,  the  founder  of  his  fortune  and 
fame.   .    .   . 

The  lady  was  alone — her  aged  hands  employed  in  the  works  of  domestic 
industry — when  the  good  news  was  announced;  and  it  was  further  told,  that  the 
victor-in-chief  was  in  waiting  at  the  threshold.  She  welcomed  him  with  a  warm 
embrace,  and  by  the  well- remembered  and  endearing  names  of  his  childhood. 
Inquiring  as  to  his  health,  she  remarked  the  lines  which  mighty  cares  and  many 


126  WASHINGTON  THE   MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

trials  had  made  on  his  manly  countenance;  spoke  much  of  old  times  and  old  friends; 
but  of  his  glory,  not  one  word ! 

Meantime ,  in  the  village  of  Fredericksburg,  all  was  joy  and  revelry.  The  town 
was  crowded  with  the  officers  of  the  French  and  American  armies,  and  with  gentle- 
men from  all  the  country  around,  who  hastened  to  welcome  the  conquerors  of 
Cornwallis.  The  citizens  made  arrangements  for  a  splendid  ball,  to  which  the 
mother  of  Washington  was  specially  invited.  She  observed  that,  although  her 
dancing  days  were  pretty  well  over,  she  should  feel  happy  in  contributing  to  the 
general  festivity,  and  consented  to  attend. 

The  foreign  officers  were  anxious  to  see  the  mother  of  their  chief.  They  had 
heard  indistinct  rumors  respecting  her  remarkable  life  and  character;  but  forming 
their  judgment  from  European  examples,  they  were  prepared  to  expect  in  the  mother 
that  glare  and  show  which  would  have  been  attached  to  the  parents  of  the  great  in 
the  old  world.  How  they  were  surprised  when  the  matron,  leaning  on  the  arm  of  her 
son,  entered  the  room.  She  was  arrayed  in  the  very  plain,  yet  becoming  garb  worn 
by  the  Virginia  lady  of  the  olden  time.  Her  address,  always  dignified  and  imposing, 
was  courteous  though  reserved.  She  received  the  complimentary  attentions  which 
were  profusely  paid  her  without  evincing  the  slightest  elevation;  and,  at  an  early 
hour,  wished  the  company  much  enjoyment  of  their  pleasures,  and  observing  that  it 
was  time  for  old  people  to  be  at  home,  retired,  leaning  as  before  on  the  arm  of  her  son. 

With  his  suite,  the  General  arrived  at  Mount  Vernon  on  the  13th 
of  November.  Stopping  only  a  few^  days  to  rest,  he  reached  Phila- 
delphia on  the  27th  of  the  same  month,  where  he  remained  for  four 
months,  and  under  his  personal  supervision,  military  arrangements 
for  1782  were  made  by  Congress  with  unusual  despatch.  He  joined 
the  army  at  Newburg  in  March. 

He  was  not  sure  that  the  lull  in  military  activity  was  an  omen  of 
peace  and  continued  his  efforts  to  prepare  for  the  ensuing  campaign. 
In  his  letters  to  the  several  governors  of  the  colonies,  urging  a  con- 
tinuance of  military  preparations,  he  wrote,  in  reference  to  several 
resolutions  before  the  English  Parliament: 

I  have  perused  these  debates  with  great  attention  and  care,  with  a  view,  if 
possible  to  penetrate  their  real  design,  and  upon  the  most  mature  deliberation  I  can 
bestow,  I  am  obliged  to  declare  it  as  my  candid  opinion  that  the  measure  in  all  its 
views  so  far  as  it  respects  America  is  merely  delusory. 

Happily  he  was  wrong  in  this  opinion  and,  after  much  delay,  the 
long-looked-for  news  of  peace  arrived.  A  general  treaty  had  been 
signed  in  Paris,  the  20th  of  January,  1783,  and  on  the  23d  of  March  a 
letter  from  Lafayette  to  the  President  of  Congress  communicated  this 
inteUigence,  and  a  few  days  later,  Washington  himself  was  apprised  by 
Sir  Guy  Carlton  that  "he  (Carlton)  was  ordered  to  proclaim  the 
cessation  of  hostilities  by  land  and  sea."     A  similar  proclamation 


WASHINGTON   IN   THE   REVOLUTION.  1 27 

issued  by  Congress  was  received  by  Washington  on  the  17th  of  April, 
and  two  days  later,  just  eight  years  after  the  battle  of  Lexington,  the 
joyful  intelligence  was  conveyed  by  proclamation  to  the  army  at 
Newburg. 

Thus  closed  the  mighty  struggle  for  American  independence. 
We  cannot  describe  fully  the  detail  of  the  arrangements  for  peace  or 
recite  the  many  interesting  and  pathetic  incidents  in  connection  with 
the  dissolution  of  the  army,  which  had  loyally,  patiently  and  heroically 
followed  their  beloved  leader  through  all  the  years  of  privation. 

The  British  troops  having  evacuated  New  York,  Washington  with 
a  detachment  of  the  American  army  took  possession  of  that  city  on 
November  25,  and  on  the  4th  of  December  his  principal  oflScers 
assembled  at  Fraunce's  Tavern  to  bid  adieu  to  their  venerated  chief. 
It  was  an  aflfecting  scene.  On  entering  the  room  and  finding  himself 
surrounded  by  his  old  companions  in  arms,  who  had  shared  with  him 
so  many  scenes  of  hardship,  difficulty  and  danger,  his  agitated  feelings 
overcame  his  usual  self-command.  Filling  a  glass  of  wine,  he  turned 
upon  them  his  benignant  but  saddened  countenance.  "With  a  heart 
full  of  love  and  gratitude,"  said  he,  "I  now  take  leave  of  you,  most 
devoutly  wishing  that  your  latter  days  may  be  as  prosperous  and 
happy  as  your  former  ones  have  been  glorious  and  honorable."  Hav- 
ing drunk  this  farewell  benediction,  he  added  with  emotion,  "I  cannot 
come  to  each  of  you  to  take  my  leave,  but  shall  be  obliged  if  each  of 
you  will  come  and  take  me  by  the  hand." 

General  Knox,  who  was  nearest,  was  the  first  to  advance.  Washington, 
affected  to  tears,  grasped  his  hand  and  gave  him  a  brother's  embrace.  In  the  same 
affectionate  manner  he  took  leave  severally  of  the  rest.  Not  a  word  was  spoken. 
The  deep  feeling  and  manly  tenderness  of  these  veterans  in  the  parting  moment  could 
find  no  utterance  in  words.  Silent  and  solemn  they  followed  their  loved  commander 
as  he  left  the  room,  passed  through  a  corps  of  light  infantry,  and  proceeded  on  foot  to 
Whitehall  Ferry.  Having  entered  the  barge,  he  turned  to  them,  took  off  his  hat 
and  waved  a  silent  adieu.  They  replied  in  the  same  manner,  and  having  watched 
the  barge  until  the  intervening  point  of  the  Battery  shut  it  from  sight,  returned  still 
solemn  and  silent  to  the  place  where  they  had  assembled. 

On  his  way  to  Annapolis,  Washington  stopped  in  Philadelphia 
long  enough  to  adjust  his  accounts  with  the  Comptroller  of  the 
Treasury.  The  gross  amount  of  his  expense  from  the  date  of  his  com- 
mission, June  20,  1775,  to  the  13th  of  December,  1783,  including 
monies  expended  for  secret  intelligence  and  service,  amounted  to  only 
fourteen  thousand  five  hundred  pounds  sterling.     Accepting  no  pay. 


128  WASHINGTON   THE  MAN   AND  THE   MASON. 

he  found  himself  a  considerable  loser,  having  frequently  in  the  hurry 
of  business  neglected  to  credit  himself  with  sums  drawn  from  his  pri- 
vate purse  in  moments  of  exigency.  The  schedule  of  his  public 
accounts,  written  in  his  own  neat  style,  "furnishes  not  the  least 
among  the  many  noble  and  impressive  lessons  taught  by  his  character 
and  example, "  said  Washington  Irving.  "  It  stands,  a  touchstone  of 
honesty  in  office,  and  a  lasting  rebuke  on  that  lavish  expenditure  of 
the  pubhc  money  too  often  heedlessly,  if  not  wilfully,  indulged  by 
military  commanders. " 

Arriving  in  Annapolis  on  the  19th  of  December,  he  notified 
Congress,  then  in  session,  of  his  desire  to  resign  his  commission  and 
requested  to  know  in  what  manner  it  would  be  most  proper  to  offer  it, 
whether  in  writing  or  at  an  audience.  The  latter  mode  was  adopted 
and  the  Hall  of  Congress  selected  for  the  ceremony.  At  twelve  o'clock 
on  the  23d  of  December,  1783,  Washington,  accompanied  by  the  Secre- 
tary of  Congress,  entered  the  hall  and  took  his  seat  in  a  chair  appointed 
to  him.  After  a  brief  pause,  the  President  (General  Mifflin) ,  informed 
him  that  the  United  States  in  Congress  assembled  were  prepared  to 
receive  his  communication.  Washington  then  arose  and  in  a  dignified 
and  impressive  manner  delivered  the  following  short  address : 

Mr.  President  :  The  great  events  on  which  my  resignation  depended  having 
at  length  taken  place,  I  have  now  the  honor  of  offering  my  sincere  congratulations 
to  Congress,  and  of  presenting  myself  before  them,  to  surrender  into  their  hands 
the  trust  committed  to  me,  and  to  claim  the  indulgence  of  retiring  from  the  service 
of  my  country. 

Happy  in  the  confirmation  of  our  independence  and  sovereignty,  and  pleased 
with  the  opportunity  afforded  the  United  States  of  becoming  a  respectable  nation, 
I  resign  with  satisfaction  the  appointment  I  accepted  with  diffidence;  a  diffidence 
in  my  abilities  to  accomplish  so  arduous  a  task,  which,  however,  was  superseded  by 
a  confidence  in  the  rectitude  of  our  cause,  the  support  of  the  supreme  power  of  the 
union,  and  the  patronage  of  Heaven. 

The  successful  termination  of  the  war  has  verified  the  most  sanguine  expecta- 
tions; and  my  gratitude  for  the  interposition  of  Providence,  and  the  assistance  I 
have  received  from  my  countrymen,  increases  with  every  re\aew  of  the  momentous 
contest. 

WMle  I  repeat  my  obligations  to  the  army  in  general,  I  should  do  injustice  to 
my  own  feelings  not  to  acknowledge  in  this  place,  the  peculiar  services  and  distin- 
guished merits  of  the  gentlemen  who  ha%'e  been  attached  to  my  person  during  the 
war.  It  was  impossible  the  choice  of  confidential  officers  to  compose  my  family 
should  have  been  more  fortunate.  Permit  me,  sir,  to  recommend  in  particular, 
those  who  have  continued  in  the  service  to  the  present  moment,  as  worthy  of  the 
favorable  notice  and  patronage  of  Congress. 

I  consider  it  as  an  indispensable  duty  to  close  this  last  act  of  my  official  life. 


WASHINGTON    IN   THE   REVOLUTION.  I29 

by  commending  the  interests  of  our  dearest  country  to  the  protection  of  Almighty 
God,  and  those  who  have  the  superintendence  of  them  to  his  holy  keeping. 

Having  now  finished  the  work  assigned  me,  I  retire  from  the  great  theater  of 
action,  and,  bidding  an  affectionate  farewell  to  this  august  body,  under  whose  orders 
I  have  so  long  acted,  I  here  offer  my  commission,  and  take  my  leave  of  all  the 
employments  of  public  life. 

After  delivering  this  short,  touching  farewell,  Washington  ad- 
vanced to  the  chair  and  delivered  his  commission  to  the  President. 
He  returned  to  his  place  and,  still  standing,  received  the  following 
reply  from  President  Mifflin : 

Sir:  The  United  States  in  Congress  assembled,  receive  with  emotions  too 
affecting  for  utterance,  the  solemn  resignation  of  the  authorities  under  which  you 
have  led  their  troops  with  success  through  a  perilous  and  a  doubtful  war.  Called 
upon  by  your  country  to  defend  its  invaded  rights,  you  accepted  the  sacred  charge, 
before  it  had  formed  alliances,  and  whilst  it  was  without  funds  or  a  government  to 
support  you.  You  have  conducted  the  great  military  contest  with  wisdom  and 
fortitude,  invariably  regarding  the  rights  of  the  civil  power  through  all  disasters 
and  changes.  You  have,  by  the  love  and  confidence  of  your  fellow  citizens,  enabled 
them  to  display  their  martial  genius,  and  transmit  their  fame  to  posterity.  You 
have  persevered  until  these  United  States,  aided  by  a  magnanimous  king  and  nation, 
have  been  enabled,  under  a  just  Providence,  to  close  the  war  in  freedom,  safety,  and 
independence ;  on  which  happy  event  we  sincerely  join  you  in  congratulations. 

Having  defended  the  standard  of  liberty  in  this  new  world,  having  taught  a 
lesson  useful  to  those  who  inflict  and  to  those  who  feel  oppression,  you  retire  from 
the  great  theater  of  action  with  the  blessings  of  your  fellow-citizens.  But  the  glory 
of  your  virtues  will  not  terminate  with  your  military  command ;  it  will  continue  to 
animate  remotest  ages. 

We  feel  with  you  our  obligations  to  the  army  in  general,  and  will  particularly 
charge  ourselves  with  the  interests  of  those  confidential  oflBcers  who  have  attended 
your  person  to  this  affecting  moment. 

We  join  you  in  commending  the  interests  of  our  dearest  country  to  the  protec- 
tion of  Almighty  God,  beseeching  him  to  dispose  the  hearts  and  minds  of  its  citizens 
to  improve  the  opportunity  afforded  them  of  becoming  a  happy  and  respectable 
nation.  And  for  you,  we  address  to  Him  our  earnest  prayers  that  a  life  so  beloved 
may  be  fostered  with  all  His  care ;  that  your  days  may  be  as  happy  as  they  have  been 
illustrious ;  and  that  He  will  finally  give  you  that  reward  which  this  world  cannot  give. 

"Few  tragedies  ever  drew  so  many  tears  from  so  many  beautiful 
eyes,"  says  the  editor  of  the  "Maryland  Gazette,"  who  was  present, 
"as  the  moving  manner  in  which  his  Excellency  took  his  final  leave 
of  Congress." 

The  next  morning  Washington,  with  his  wife  and  the  two  Custis 
children,  left  Armapolis  and  hastened  across  Maryland  to  Mount 
Vernon,  where  he  arrived  the  same  day,  which  was  Christmas  eve. 


I30  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN  AND  THE   MASON. 

Among  the  guests  at  Mount  Vernon  when  the  Httle  party  returned 
was  a  young  lady  from  Fredericksburg,  who  has  left  us  a  very  inter- 
esting account  of  this  happy  home  coming.  She  wrote  to  her  friends 
at  home : 

I  must  tell  you  what  a  charming  day  I  spent  at  Moimt  Vernon  with  Mama 
and  Sally.  The  Gen'l  and  Madame  came  home  on  Christmas  Eve,  and  such  a 
racket  the  Ser\'ants  made,  for  they  were  glad  of  their  coming.  Three  handsome 
ofEcers  came  with  them.  All  Christmas  afternoon  people  came  to  pay  their  Re- 
spects and  Duty.  Among  them  were  stately  Dames  and  gay  young  Women.  The 
Gen'l  seemed  very  happy,  and  Mistress  Washington  was  from  Daybreak  making 
everything  as  agreeable  as  possible  for  Everybody. 

Among  these  visitors  was  George  Mason  and  the  officers  were 
Colonel  David  Humphries,*  Colonel  Wm.  Smith  (married  daughter 
of  John  Adams),  Tench  Tilghman,  and  Colonel  Benj.  Walker. 

*Colonel  David  Humphries,  bora  in  Derby,  Connecticut,  1753,  first  appears  as  major  in 
General  Parson's  brigade,  in  1777.  He  subsequently  became  aide  to  General  Israel  Putnam  and 
served  under  General  Greene.  In  1780  he  was  appointed  aide  and  military  secretary  to  the 
commander-in-chief.  It  was  Humphries  who  received  the  captured  standards  from  the  British 
at  Yorktown.     He  was  of  a  romantic  disposition  and  of  unswerving  loyalty  in  his  friendship. 

In  the  subjoined  poem,  written  shortly  after  the  revolution,  he  very  gracefully  and  gra- 
ciously alludes  to  his  former  commanders — 

"I,  too,  perhaps,  should  heaven  prolong  my  date 
The  oft-repeated  tale  shall  oft  relate; 
Shall  tell  the  feelings,  in  the  first  alarms. 
Of  some  bold  enterprise  the  unequall'd  charms; 
Shall  tell  from  whom  I  learnt  the  martial  art. 
With  what  high  chief  I  play'd  my  early  part: 
With  Parsons  first,  whose  eye,  with  piercing  ken. 
Reads  through  their  hearts  the  characters  of  men. 
Then  how  I  aided  in  the  following  scene. 
Death-daring  Putnam,  then  immortal  Greene : 
Then  how  great  Washington  my  youth  approved. 
In  rank  preferr'd,  and  as  a  parent  loved. 
(For  each  fine  feeUng  in  his  bosom  blends 
The  first  of  heroes,  patriots,  sages,  friends) ; 
With  him,  what  hours,  on  warlike  plans  I  spent. 
Beneath  the  shadow  of  the  imperial  tent; 
With  him,  how  oft  I  went  the  nightly  round 
Through  moving  hosts,  or  slept  on  tented  ground' 
From  him,  how  oft  (nor  far  below  the  first 
In  high  behests  and  confidential  trust) — • 
From  him,  how  oft  I  bore  the  dread  commands. 
Which  destined  for  the  fight  the  eager  bands: 
With  him,  how  oft  I  pass'd  the  eventful  day. 
Rode  by  his  side,  as  down  the  long  array 
His  awful  voice  the  columns  taught  to  form. 
To  point  the  thunder,  and  to  pour  the  storm." 


WASHINGTON   IN   THE   REVOLUTION. 


131 


WASHINGTON'S  AIDES  DE  CAMP  (Showing  date  of  appointment) : 

Thomas  Mifflin, General  Orders, 

Joseph  Reid,  Secretary,   ....  General  Orders, 

John  Trumball, General  Orders, 

Edmund  Randolph, General  Orders, 

George  Baylor, General  Orders, 

Robt.  Harrison,  Secretary,    .      .      .  General  Orders, 

Stephen  Moylan General  Orders, 

Wm.  Ralfrey, General  Orders, 

Caleb  Gibbs General  Orders, 


General  Orders, 
General  Orders, 
General  Orders, 
General  Orders, 
General  Orders, 


George  Lewis, 

Richard  Carg, 

Samuel  Blackley  Webb,  . 
Alexa.  Contee  Webb, 
William  Grayson,  Secretary, 

P.  Penet By  Brevet, 

John  Fitzgerald, General  Orders, 

Geo.  Johnston, General  Orders, 

John  Walker, General  Orders, 

Alexander  Hamilton,        ....  General  Orders, 

Richard  Kidder  Meade,  ....  General  Orders, 

Peter  Presley  Thornton,        .      .      .  General  Orders, 

John  Laurens, General  Orders, 

Jas.  McHenry,  Asst.  Secretary,        .  General  Orders, 

Tench  Tilghman, General  Orders, 

David  Humphries, General  Orders, 

Richard  Varrick,  Secretary  at  Headquarters,    . 

Jonathan  Trumbull,  Secretary,        .  General  Orders, 

David  Cobb General  Orders, 

Peregrine  Fitzhugh, General  Orders, 

Wm.  Stephen  Smith,        ....  General  Orders, 

Benj.  Walker, General  Orders, 

Hodijah  Bayliss, General  Orders, 


4th  July, 

1775 

4th  July, 

'775 

27th  July, 

[775 

15th  Aug., 

t775 

15th  Aug., 

[775 

6th  Nov., 

'775 

6th  Mar., 

[776 

1 6th  May, 

'776 

1 6th  May, 

[776 

1 6th  May, 

[776 

2ist  June, 

[776 

2ist  June, 

[776 

2ist  June, 

[776 

24th  Aug., 

[776 

14th  Oct., 

[776 

ist  Mar., 

'777 

19th  Feb., 

'777 

20th  Jan., 

'777 

12th  Jan., 

'777 

6th  Sept., 

'777 

6th  Sept., 

'777 

15th  May, 

[778 

2ist  Jan., 

780 

23rd  Jan., 

[780 

25  th  May, 

[781 

8th  June, 

[781 

15th  June, 

781 

2nd  July, 

781 

6th  July,  1 

781 

25th  Jan.,  1 

782 

17th  May,  ] 

782 

WASHINGTON  AGAIN  IN  PRIVATE  LIFE 

^J^ASHINGTON  returned  to  his  home  rejoicing  at  the 
^_  prospect  of  becoming  a  private  citizen  again.  He 
was  passionately  fond  of  agricultural  pursuits  and 
the  favorable  opportunity  to  renew  that  agreeable 
occupation  was  pleasing  indeed  to  him.  In  a  letter 
to  Governor  Clinton,  written  three  days  after  his 
arrival  at  Mount  Vernon,  he  expresses  his  sense  of  relief : 

The  scene  is  at  length  closed.  I  feel  myself  eased  of  a  load  of  public  care,  and 
hope  to  spend  the  remainder  of  my  days  in  cultivating  the  affections  of  good  men, 
and  in  the  practice  of  the  domestic  virtues." 

And  to  his  young  friend,  Lafayette,  he  wrote: 

I  have  become  a  private  citizen  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac  in  the  shadow  of 
my  own  vine  and  my  own  fig  tree,  free  from  the  bustle  of  a  camp,  and  the  busy 
scenes  of  public  life.  I  am  solacing  myself  with  those  tranquil  enjoyments,  of  which 
the  soldier,  who  is  ever  in  pursuit  of  fame — the  statesman,  whose  watchful  days  and 
sleepless  nights  are  spent  in  devising  schemes  to  promote  the  welfare  of  his  own, 
perhaps  the  ruin  of  other  countries,  as  if  this  globe  was  insufficient  for  us  all — and 
the  courtier,  who  is  always  watching  the  countenance  of  his  prince  in  the  hope  of 
catching  a  gracious  smile — can  have  very  little  conception.  I  have  not  only  retired 
from  all  public  employment,  but  am  retiring  within  myself,  and  shall  be  able  to  view 
the  solitary  walk,  and  tread  the  paths  of  private  life,  with  heartfelt  satisfaction. 
Envious  of  none,  I  am  determined  to  be  pleased  with  all ;  and  this,  my  dear  friend, 
being  the  order  of  my  march,  I  will  move  gently  down  the  stream  of  life,  until  I 
sleep  with  my  fathers. 

Subsequently  in  a  letter  to  the  Marchioness  de  Lafayette,  inviting 
her  to  America  to  see  the  country,  "young,  rude  and  uncultivated,  as 
it  is,"  for  the  hberties  of  which  her  husband  had  fought,  bled  and 
acquired  much  glory,  and  where  everybody  admired  and  loved  him, 
he  wrote : 

I  am  now  enjoying  domestic  ease  and  under  the  shadow  of  my  own  vine  and 
my  own  fig  tree  in  a  small  villa,  with  the  implements  of  husbandry  and  lambkins 
about  me  .  .  .  Come  then,  let  me  entreat  you,  and  call  my  cottage  your  own, 
for  your  doors  do  not  open  to  you  with  more  readiness  than  mine  would.  You  will 
see  the  plain  manner  in  which  we  live,  and  meet  with  rustic  civility;  and  you 
shall  taste  the  simplicity  of  rural  life.  It  will  diversify  the  scene,  and  may  give  you 
a  higher  reHsh  for  the  gayeties  of  the  cotut  when  you  return  to  VersaUles. 

133 


134  WASHINGTON  TBOB   MAN   AND  THE  MASON. 

It  is  interesting  reading,  these  friendly  and  sometimes  afifectionate 
letters  between  Washington  and  his  friends.  His  correspondence  was 
generally  directed  to  former  comrades  in  the  revolution  and  shows  how 
firmly  their  affections  had  been  grounded  during  the  years  of  mutual 
suffering  and  anxiety.  Sometimes  they  breathe  the  spirit  of  mental 
relief  and  relaxation,  again  the  Ught  and  airy  style  of  buoyant  youth 
creeps  in,  while  in  others  he  refers  with  sadness  to  the  afflictions  of 
the  people,  "  borne  down  by  the  ravage  of  war,"  and  mournfully  com- 
ments on  the  changed  conditions  around  Motmt  Vernon. 

Belvoir  House,  where  he  spent  so  many  pleasant  hours,  is  no  more ; 
George  William  Fairfax,  the  boon  companion  of  his  early  life,  is  now 
in  England  and  the  old  lord,  the  master  of  Greenway  Court,  his  early 
friend  and  patron,  full  of  years  and  bitter  disappointments  at  the  fall 
of  "kingly  power,"  had  passed  away. 

The  spring  of  1784  came  and  Washington  renewed  his  active 
farming  operations,  in  the  midst  of  which  he  received  pleasant  news 
and  was  delighted  with  the  prospect  of  having  as  his  guest  his  clierished 
friend  and  former  comrade,  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  and  when  he 
arrived  in  August  we  can  well  imagine  that  many  hours  were  spent  in 
pleasant  reminiscences  on  the  beautiful  lawns  and  broad  verandas  of 
Mount  Vernon. 

Letters  of  congratulation,  teeming  with  fulsome  praise,  poured 
in  upon  him  from  every  section.  To  answer  the  increasing  volume 
of  correspondence  soon  became  an  embarrassing  problem  and  neces- 
sitated the  employment  of  a  private  secretary.  No  amount  of  adula- 
tion, however,  was  ever  sufficient  to  arouse  a  spirit  of  vanity  or  change 
his  simple  mode  of  life.  Enthroned  in  the  affections  of  his  people,  the 
world's  greatest  hero,  then,  as  he  is  to-day,  he  continued  modestly  to 
pursue  the  even  tenor  of  his  way  unchanged.     He  writes  to  a  friend: 

My  manner  of  living  is  plain  and  I  do  not  mean  to  be  put  out  of  it — a  glass  of 
wine  and  a  bit  of  mutton  are  always  ready,  and  such  as  will  be  content  to  take  part 
of  them,  are  always  welcome.     Those  who  expect  more  will  be  displeased. 

Though  in  retirement  he  was  still  the  center  of  attraction;  the 
subject  of  every  pen,  the  theme  on  every  tongue.  Joseph  Mandrillon 
wrote: 

If  ever  mortal  enjoyed  his  whole  reputation  during  his  lifetime,  if  ever  a  c'tizen 
has  found  in  his  own  country  a  reward  for  his  services  and  abilities,  it  is  my  hero; 
everywhere  feted,  admired,  caressed,  he  everywhere  sees  hearts  eager  to  render  him 
homage;  if  he  enters  a  town,  or  if  he  passes  through  a  village,  old  and  young  men, 


PEELE  PICTURE  OF  LAFAYETTE. 
From  the  Original  in  Alexandria-Washington  Lodge,  No.  12,  A.  F.  and  A.  AL,  Alexandria,  Va. 


WASHINGTON   AGAIN    IN    PRIVATE   LIFE.  1 35 

women  and  children  all  follow  him  with  acclamations ;  all  load  him  with  blessings ; 
in  every  heart  he  has  a  temple  consecrated  to  respect  and  friendship.  How  I  love  to 
imagine  to  myself  the  French  general  (M.  de  Rochambeau),  equally  the  idol  and  the 
hero  of  his  army,  sajing  at  table  as  he  sat  near  Washington,  that  he  had  never 
known  what  true  glory  was,  nor  a  truly  great  man,  until  he  became  acquainted  with 
him.  When  America,  overthrown  by  the  dreadful  revolutions  of  nature,  shall  no 
longer  exist,  it  will  be  remembered  of  Washington,  that  he  was  the  defender  of 
liberty,  the  friend  of  man,  the  avenger  of  an  oppressed  people. 

From  every  quarter  came  lavish  praise.  Even  the  EngUsh,  who 
had  sufifered  so  much  humiliation  at  his  hands,  and  among  whom  we 
might  naturally  expect  a  spirit  of  resentment  because  of  the  universal 
popularity  of  this  colonial  idol,  joined  the  chorus.  The  gifted  Charles 
Varlo,  a  prominent  English  writer,  who  visited  and  made  a  tour  of 
America  in  1784,  furnished  the  following  interesting  description  of 
"The  Man"  and  the  life  at  Mount  Vernon  at  this  period. 

I  crossed  the  river  from  Maryland  into  Virginia,  near  to  the  renowned  General 
Washington's,  where  I  had  the  honor  to  spend  some  time  and  was  kindly  entertained 
with  that  worthy  family.  As  to  the  General,  if  we  may  judge  by  the  countenance, 
he  is  what  the  world  says  of  him,  a  shrewd,  good  natured,  plain  human  man,  about 
fifty-five  years  of  age,  and  seems  to  wear  well,  being  healthful  and  active,  straight, 
well-made  and  about  six  feet  high.  He  keeps  a  good  table,  which  is  always  open  to 
those  of  a  genteel  appearance.  He  does  not  use  many  Frenchified  congees,  or  flat- 
tering useless  words  without  meaning,  which  savour  more  of  deceit  than  an  honest 
heart,  but  on  the  contrary,  his  words  seem  to  point  at  truth  and  reason,  and  to 
spring  from  the  fountain  of  a  heart,  which  being  good  of  itself,  cannot  be  suspicious 
of  others. 

The  General's  house  is  rather  warm,  snug,  convenient  and  useful  than  orna- 
mental. The  size  is  what  ought  to  suit  a  man  of  about  two  or  three  thousand  a 
year  in  England.  The  out-offices  are  good,  and  seem  to  be  not  long  built  and  he 
was  making  more  offices  at  each  wing,  to  the  front  of  the  house,  which  added  more  to 
ornament  than  real  use.  The  situation  is  high,  and  commands  a  beautiful  prospect 
of  the  river  which  parts  Virginia  and  Maryland,  but  in  other  respects  the  situation 
seems  to  be  out  of  the  world,  being  chiefly  surrounded  by  woods,  and  far  from  any 
great  road  or  thoroughfare,  and  nine  miles  from  Alexandria,  in  Virginia.  The 
General's  lady  is  a  hearty,  comely,  discreet,  affable  woman,  some  few  years  older""  than 
himself;  she  was  a  widow  when  he  married  her.  He  has  no  children  by  her.  The 
General's  house  is  open  to  poor  travelers  as  well  as  rich;  he  gives  diet  and  lodging  to 
all  that  come  that  way  which  indeed  cannot  be  many,  without  they  go  out  of  their 
way  on  purpose.   .    .    . 

I  have  traveled  and  seen  a  great  deal  of  the  world,  have  conversed  with  all 
degrees  of  people,  and  have  remarked  that  there  are  only  two  persons  in  the  world 
which  have  every  one's  good  word.and  those  are — the  Queen  of  England  and  General 
Washington,  which  I  never  heard  friend  or  foe  speak  slightly  of. 


*Mrs.  Washington  was  three  months  you  nger  than  the  General. 


136  WASHINGTON   THE  MAN  AND   THE  MASON. 

Varlo's  idea  that  there  could  not  be  many  visitors  to  Mount 
Vernon  was  certainly  erroneous.  Judging  from  an  entry  in  the  Gen- 
eral's diary,  dated  June  30,  1785  ("  Dined  with  only  Mrs.  Washington, 
which  I  believe  is  the  first  instance  of  it  since  my  retirement  from 
pubHc  life  "),  and  contemporary  letters,  the  house  was  seldom  without 
a  guest  and  it  made  no  difference  who  they  were  or  what  their  station. 
Rich  or  poor,  great  or  humble,  there  was  always  a  cordial  welcome 
at  this  hospitable  home. 

"My  house  is  a  sort  of  pubhc  tavern,"  he  wrote,  and  it  soon 
became  evident  to  the  General,  after  his  return  from  the  army,  that 
the  "tavern"  was  not  sufficently  large  to  accommodate  his  numerous 
visitors,  so  we  find  him  in  July,  1784,  making  extensive  additions  to 
the  mansion.  The  old  portion  erected  by  his  father  in  1 742-1 743  had 
only  four  rooms  on  each  floor  and  was  about  one-third  the  size  of 
the  present  structure.  In  the  alterations,  the  original  building  was 
made  to  occupy  the  central  portion  while  the  new  additions  extended 
from  either  end.  The  improvements  were  completed  at  the  close  of 
1785,  and  as  it  now  appears  the  house  is  two  stories  in  height,  ninety- 
six  feet  in  length,  thirty  feet  in  depth,  with  a  piazza  fifteen  feet  in 
width,  extending  the  entire  length  along  the  eastern  or  river  front. 

For  months  after  Washington's  return  to  private  life,  he  could 
not  accommodate  himself  to  his  new  situation.  The  "public"  bur- 
dens he  had  borne  for  nearly  nine  years,  when  abruptly  thrown  aside, 
left  a  mental  void,  similar  perhaps  to  the  physical  collapse  of  an 
enfeebled  patient  when  suddenly  reheved  of  an  enervating  fever,  and 
we  find  him  writing  to  General  Knox  on  the  subject : 

I  am  just  beginning  to  experience  that  ease  and  freedom  from  public  cares 
which,  however  desirable,  takes  some  time  to  realize;  for,  strange  as  it  may  seem, 
it  is  nevertheless  true,  that  it  was  not  till  lately  I  could  get  the  better  of  my  custom 
of  ruminating,  as  soon  as  I  waked  in  the  morning,  on  the  business  of  the  ensuing 
day;  and  of  my  surprise  at  finding,  after  revolving  many  things  in  my  mind,  that 
I  was  no  longer  a  public  man,  nor  had  anything  to  do  with  public  transactions. 

The  transition  from  the  bustle  of  the  mihtary  camp  to  the  peace- 
ful occupation  of  the  planter,  burying  the  thoughts  of  the  one  and 
refreshing  the  mind  with  the  other,  required  time.  Agriculture  was  a 
pastime  to  him,  and  his  several  plantations,  large  as  they  were,  ser\'ed 
only  as  a  toy  to  amuse.  His  restless  energy  could  not  be  restrained 
by  minor  occupations,  his  capacious  intellect  soared  for  mightier 
tasks,  and  he  looked  about,  not  for  new  worlds  to  conquer,  but  for  new 
fields  of  righteous  efi^ort. 


WASHINGTON  AGAIN   IN   PRIVATE   LIFE.  I37 

Immediately  after  Lafayette's  temporary  departure  from  Mount 
Vernon,  on  the  ist  of  September  (1784),  with  necessary  equipment 
for  the  journey,  and  Dr.  Craik,  the  doctor's  son  William,  and  Wash- 
ington's nephew,  Bushrod  Washington,  as  companions,  he  started  on 
a  trip  to  the  west  to  visit  his  land  on  the  Ohio  and  the  Kanawha  rivers. 

To  the  casual  observer  this  excursion  would  appear  in  the  nature 
of  a  private  venture  without  special  interest  to  the  general  public. 
That  it  finally  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  the  government  of  the 
United  States,  or  rather  led  up  to  negotiations  which  had  that  result 
and  which  we  shall  later  review,  is  an  indisputable  fact. 

In  our  imagination  we  can  follow  the  Uttle  party  as  they  leisurely 
wind  their  way  by  the  old  military  road  where,  years  before,  Washing- 
ton had  led  the  Virginia  militia,  and  by  which  Braddock  had  marched 
his  fated  army  to  destruction.  A  veteran  now  in  years,  a  general  of 
renown,  he  no  doubt  thought  of  the  days  of  his  youth  and  conversed 
with  his  comrade,  Craik,  on  the  subject  of  their  early  campaigns. 
No  doubt  they  paused  at  the  grave  of  the  gallant  Braddock  and 
viewed  again  the  bloody  field  of  the  Monongahela. 

His  original  intention  had  been  to  inspect  and  survey  his  lands 
on  the  Monongahela,  then  descend  the  Ohio  to  the  Great  Kanawha, 
examine  his  property  in  that  location  and  make  a  general  survey  and 
inspection  of  all  his  holdings  along  these  rivers,  but  the  unsettled 
condition  of  the  Indian  tribes  in  that  vicinity  prevented  the  execution 
of  his  original  plan  and  they  proceeded  no  further  west  than  the 
Monongahela.  Ascending  that  river  for  some  distance,  they  took 
a  southerly  course  through  the  unsettled  regions  and  wilds  of  the 
AUeghanies,  coming  out  into  the  Shenandoah  Valley  near  the  town 
of  Staunton.  From  that  point  they  leisurely  returned  to  Mount 
Vernon,  arriving  there  on  October  4,  having  traveled  nearly  seven 
hundred  miles  on  horseback  since  the  ist  of  September. 

For  many  years  Washington  had  entertained  the  idea  that  an  easy 
and  short  communication  could  be  established  between  the  Potomac 
and  James  rivers  and  the  waters  of  the  Ohio,  and  that  vast  advan- 
tages would  result  to  Virginia  and,  in  fact,  all  the  eastern  colonies 
by  such  a  communication.  As  early  as  1770  and  1772,  and  again  in 
1774,  he  made  tours  of  these  western  countries,  inspecting  the  passes 
and  mountain  routes  over  and  on  both  sides  of  the  Appalachian  range, 
to  ascertain  the  feasibility  of  his  plan,  but  the  Revolutionary  War 
coming  on  put  a  stop  to  his  favorite  project.  One  important  object 
of  the  trip  in  1784,  therefore,  was  to  continue  those  early  observations 


138  WASHINGTON    THE    MAN    AND   THE   MASON. 

and  collect  additional  information  on  the  subject.  On  this  trip  he 
carefully  located  the  favorable  portages,  noted  the  nature  of  the  soil 
and  the  course  of  the  rivers,  and  returned  convinced  of  the  necessity, 
from  a  political  as  well  as  a  commercial  standpoint,  of  such  a  system 
of  communication  with  the  countr}'-  beyond  the  mountains. 
The  western  states,  he  observed — 

Stood  as  it  were  on  a  pivot,  so  that  a  touch  of  a  feather  might  turn  them  any 
way.  They  had  looked  down  the  Alississippi,  and  been  tempted  in  that  directipn 
by  the  facilities  of  sending  everything  down  the  stream;  whereas,  they  had  no 
means  of  coming  to  us  but  by  long  land  transportations  and  rugged  roads. 

Filled  with  the  spirit  of  his  enterprise,  immediately  upon  his 
return  home  he  addressed  communications  on  the  subject  to  Gover- 
nor Harrison  of  Virginia  and  the  Governor  of  Marjdand,  urging  imme- 
diate legislation.  It  behooved  Virginia,  wrote  he,  "to  avail  herself 
of  the  present  favorable  conjuncture  to  secure  a  share  of  western 
trade  by  connecting  the  Potomac  and  James  rivers,  with  the  waters 
beyond  the  mountains.  The  industry  of  the  western  settlers  had 
hitherto  been  checked  by  the  want  of  outlets  to  their  products,  owing 
to  the  before-mentioned  obstacles.  But  smooth  the  road,"  said  he, 
"and  make  easy  the  way  for  them,  and  then  see  what  an  influx  of 
articles  will  pour  upon  us ;  how  amazingly  our  exports  will  be  increased 
by  them,  and  how  amply  all  shall  be  compensated  for  any  trouble  and 
expense  we  may  encounter  to  effect  it." 

Not  satisfied  with  the  favorable  response  of  Governor  Harrison 
to  his  letter  which  had  been  laid  before  the  Virginia  Legislature,  he 
repaired  in  person  to  Richmond,  where  he  arrived  on  the  15th  of 
November,  1784.  His  efforts  were  entirely  successful.  Not  only 
were  his  representations  favorably  received  but  "prompt  and  decisive 
action"  taken  by  the  assembly  to  put  them  into  effect. 

At  Richmond  he  was  joined  by  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  who, 
since  their  separation,  had  made  a  tour  of  the  country,  "crowned 
everywhere,"  writes  Washington,  "with  wreaths  of  love  and  respect." 
They  retiu-ned  together  to  Mount  Vernon  where  Lafayette  again 
passed  several  days,  a  welcome  addition  to  the  domestic  circle. 
When  his  visit  was  ended,  Washington  accompanied  him  on  his 
journey  as  far  as  Annapolis  and  on  returning  home  wrote  a  farewell 
letter  to  the  Marquis,  December  8,  1784,  an  extract  from  which 
eloquently  portrays  the  depth  of  their  abiding  friendship: 

In  the  moment  of  our  separation,  upon  the  road  as  I  have  traveled,  and  every 
hour  since,  I  have  felt  all  that  love,  respect  and  attachment  for  you  with  which 


WASHINGTON   AGAIN   IN   PRIVATE   LIFE.  1 39 

length  of  years,  close  connection  and  your  merits  have  inspired  me.  I  often  asked 
myself,  as  our  carriage  separated,  whether  that  was  the  last  sight  I  ever  should  have 
of  you?  And  though  I  wished  to  answer  no,  my  fears  answered  yes.  I  called  to 
mind  the  days  of  my  youth,  and  found  they  had  long  since  fled  to  return  no  more, 
that  I  was  now  descending  the  liill  I  had  been  fifty-two  years  climbing,  and  that, 
though  I  was  blessed  with  a  good  constitution,  I  was  of  a  short  lived  family,  and 
might  soon  expect  to  be  entombed  in  the  mansion  of  my  fathers.  These  thoughts 
darkened  the  shades,  and  gave  a  gloom  to  the  picture  and  consequently,  to  my 
prospect  of  ever  seeing  you  again. 

A  few  days  after  posting  this  letter,  Washington,  at  the  urgent 
request  of  the  Virginia  Assembly,  again  repaired  to  Annapolis,  Decem- 
ber 20,  17S4,  and  appeared  before  the  Maryland  Legislature  in  the 
interest  of  his  favorite  project.  The  IMary^land  Assembly  greeted  him 
with  testimonials  of  affection  and,  as  a  proof  of  their  confidence, 
promptly  ratified  and  approved  the  action  of  the  Virginia  Assembly. 
A  company  known  as  "The  Potomac  Company  "  was  organized 
and  incorporated  under  the  patronage  and  in  accordance  with  the 
laws  of  both  states  and  Washington  was  unanimously  elected  president. 
His  idea  of  connecting  the  east  and  the  west  by  improving  the  navi- 
gation of  the  upper  Potomac  River  as  far  as  practicable,  thence  by 
a  system  of  highways  over  the  mountain  at  the  most  convenient 
portages  to  the  rivers  beyond,  was  now  about  to  be  carried  into  effect 
and,  to  insure  the  successful  operation  of  the  new  venture  and  to 
guard  against  future  embarrassments,  it  became  necessary  at  the 
very  outset  to  remove  several  very  serious  obstacles. 

The  jurisdiction  over  the  waters  of  Chesapeake  Bay  and  the 
rivers  common  to  both  states,  particularly  the  Potomac,  had  long  been 
a  subject  for  dispute,  and  to  permanently  locate  this  boundary  line 
and  to  regulate  and  establish  a  uniformity  of  duties  on  imports, 
commerce  and  currency,  a  joint  commission  was  appointed  by  the  two 
assemblies,  consisting  of  Colonel  George  Mason,  Edmund  Randolph, 
Alexander  Henderson  and  James  Madison,  Jr.,  of  Virginia,  and  Thomas 
Johnson,  Thomas  Stone,  Samuel  Chase,  Daniel  (of  St.  Thomas) 
Jenifer,  on  the  part  of  IMaryland,  to  meet  in  Alexandria,  March  22, 
1785.  Through  some  unaccountable  blunder,  the  members  of  this 
commission  were  not  duly  notified  of  their  appointments,  in  conse- 
quence of  which  Mr.  Randolph  and  Air.  Madison  of  the  Virginia 
delegation  and  Mr.  Johnson  of  the  ]Mar}'land  were  not  present  and 
in  fact  knew  nothing  of  the  meeting  until  too  late  to  attend. 

Washington  attended  the  convention  on  the  2 2d,  which,  after  a 
three-days  session  in  Alexandria,  adjoiuned  to  Mount  Vernon.     We 


140  WASHINGTON    THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

find  the  following  entries  bearing  on  the  subject  in  Washington's 
diary: 

March  24th,  17S5.  At  Mount  Vernon — sent  my  carriage  to  Alexandria  for 
Colonel  Mason,  according  to  appointment. 

March  25th — About  one  o'clock  Major  Jenifer,  Mr.  Stone,  Mr.  Chase,  and  Mr. 
Alexander  Henderson  arrived  here. 

March  27th  —Mr.  Henderson  went  to  Colchester  (his  home  about  seven  miles 
below  Mount  Vernon)  after  dinner  to  return  in  the  morning. 

And  on  the  29th,  he  notes — Major  Jenifer,  Mr.  Stone  and  Mr.  Henderson  went 
away  before  breakfast  and  Colonel  Mason  in  my  carriage  after  it,     .     .     . 

That  our  readers  may  fully  appreciate  the  importance  of  the 
labors  of  this  Mount  Vernon  convention,  which  has  been  almost 
entirely  ignored  by  historians,  w^e  must  briefly  consider  the  agitated 
state  of  the  public  mind  at  that  period  and  draw  our  conclusions  from 
the  final  result  of  the  conference.  We  must  understand  that,  among 
the  leading  statesmen,  a  profound  sense  of  impending  danger  pre- 
vailed. The  old  confederation  under  which  the  states  were  bound 
together,  never  very  strong,  was  toppling  to  its  ruin,  and  how  to 
ward  off  this  approaching  calamity  was  a  subject  of  grave  concern 
to  those  charged  with  the  administration  of  public  affairs. 

The  distressed  condition  of  the  people  as  a  result  of  the  war, 
the  heavy  obligations  of  the  several  commonwealths  and  a  general 
contempt  for  the  inadequate  federal  system,  created  universal  dis- 
content and  prevented  the  successful  enforcement  of  national  laws. 
Thus  the  general  government  stood  powerless  to  collect  its  internal 
revenues  and  with  a  depleted  treasury,  helpless  and  appalled,  faced 
inevitable  bankruptcy  and,  what  was  worse,  open  defiance  of  its 
authority  in  a  time  of  peace. 

It  was  this  alarming  and  deplorable  condition  that  taxed  the 
public  mind  and  brought  to  Washington  a  volume  of  correspondence 
from  the  leading  statesmen  of  the  country,  about  the  time  the  little 
convention  met  at  his  house. 

Mr.  Jay  wrote : 

Our  affairs  seem  to  lead  to  something  that  I  cannot  foresee  or  conjecture ;  I 
am  uneasy  and  apprehensive,  more  so  than  during  the  war.     .     .     . 

In  Washington's  reply  to  Jay,  he  said: 

Your  sentiments  that  our  affairs  are  drawing  rapidly  to  a  crisis  accord  with 
my  own;  what  the  event  will  be  is  also  beyond  the  reach  of  my  foresight  .  .  . 
We  must  take  human  nature  as  we  find  it;  perfection  falls  not  to  the  share  of  the 
mortal.     Many  are  of  the  opinion  that  Congress  have  too  frequently  made  use 


M 

P 

o 


fa 
o 

o 


g 


WASHINGTON  AGAIN  IN  PRIVATE  LIFE.  I4I 

of  the  suppliant  humble  tone  of  requisition,  in  applications  to  the  states,  when  they 
had  a  right  to  assert  their  imperial  dignity,  and  command  obedience.  Be  that  as 
it  may,  requisitions  are  a  perfect  nullity,  where  thirteen  sovereign,  independent, 
disunited  states  are  in  the  habit  of  discussing  and  refusing  or  complying  with  them 
at  their  option.  Requisitions  are  actually  little  better  than  a  jest  and  a  by-word 
throughout  the  land.  .  .  .  What  astonishing  changes  a  few  years  are  capable 
of  producing.  I  am  told  that  even  respectable  characters  speak  of  a  monarchical 
form  of  government  without  horror.  From  thinking  proceeds  speaking;  thence  to 
acting  is  often  but  a  step.  But  how  irrevocable  and  tremendous.  What  a  triumph 
for  the  advocates  of  despotism,  to  find  that  we  are  incapable  of  governing  ourselves, 
and  that  systems  founded  on  the  basis  of  equal  liberty  are  merely  ideal  and  falla- 
cious. Would  to  God  that  wise  measures  may  be  taken  in  time  to  avert  the  con- 
sequences we  have  but  too  much  reason  to  apprehend. 

Again  he  wrote  on  hearing  of  the  disorder  arising  from  an  effort 
to  collect  the  federal  tax : 

What,  gracious  God,  is  man  that  there  should  be  such  inconsistence  and  perfidi- 
ousness  in  his  conduct.  It  was  but  the  other  day  that  we  were  shedding  our  blood 
to  obtain  the  constitutions  under  which  we  now  live,  constitutions  of  our  own  choice 
and  making;  and  now  we  are  unsheathing  the  sword  to  overturn  them.  The  thing 
is  so  unaccountable,  that  I  hardly  know  how  to  realize  it,  or  to  persuade  myself  that 
I  am  not  under  the  illusion  of  a  dream, 

and  in  his  letter  to  Knox  he  declares: 

I  feel,  my  dear  General  Knox,  infinitely  more  than  I  can  express  to  you,  for  the 
disorders  which  have  arisen  in  these  United  States.  Good  God,  who  besides  a  tory 
could  have  foreseen  or  a  Briton  predicted  them  ?  I  do  assure  you  that,  even  at  this 
moment,  when  I  reflect  upon  the  present  prospect  of  our  affairs,  it  seems  to  me  to 
be  like  the  vision  of  a  dream. 

Such  were  the  anxious  forebodings  of  Washington  and  his  con- 
temporaries. Only  a  few  years  before  he  had  spumed  a  scepter  and 
rejected  a  crown,  had  gladly  sheathed  a  victorious  sword  and  volim- 
tarily  retired  to  the  precincts  of  his  happy  home  on  the  Potomac, 
with  favorable  prospects  for  a  tranquil  future.  Now  this  Utopian 
dream  was  brought  abruptly  to  an  end.  According  to  Jay,  the 
situation  was  more  serious  than  during  the  Revolutionary  War. 
Civil  dissensions  were  about  to  ripen  into  civil  strife  and  the  ghastly 
specter  of  insurrection  stalked  boldly  about  the  country.  Something 
must  be  done  to  avert  the  approaching  storm. 

On  this  little  connnission,  selected  to  draft  the  compact  between 
Virginia  and  Maryland,  was  George  Mason.  He  had  written  the 
Declaration  of  Rights  and  the  first   constitution  of   Virginia  and 


142  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

undoubtedly  knew  more  of  the  science  of  government  than  any  man 
in  his  day  or  in  his  age.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Washington, 
in  the  depths  of  his  anxiety,  appealed  to  his  neighbor.  Mason,  on  this 
as  he  had  on  other  important  occasions,  and  being  as  zealous  a 
patriot  as  Washington  himself,  there  is  no  room  to  beUeve  that  Mason 
did  not  hasten  to  his  assistance. 

The  intervening  shadows  of  that  distant  past  prevent  the  dis- 
closure of  all  the  subjects  discussed  or  the  scope  of  the  deliberations 
of  this  little  band  of  devoted  patriots  behind  the  closed  doors  and 
within  the  mooted  seclusion  of  Mount  Vernon,  but,  with  Washington 
and  Mason  to  direct  the  way,  it  is  fair  to  assume  that  the  whole  field 
of  public  peril  was  critically  explored  and  a  system  of  policy  adopted 
which  would  ultimately  lead  to  remedial  measures  and  place  on  a 
firm  and  lasting  foundation  our  governmental  structure.  For  not 
only  did  they  agree  upon  a  compact  between  Maryland  and  Virginia, 
fixing  the  boundaries  and  regulating  their  commerce,  which  was  sub- 
sequently ratified  by  their  respective  legislatures,  but  they  also 
prepared  resolutions,  urging  the  call  of  a  general  convention  of  repre- 
sentatives from  all  the  states  with  a  view  to  strengthening  the  federal 
system. 

Pursuant  to  the  recommendations  of  the  Mount  Vernon  com- 
mittee, the  Virginia  Legislature  (Maryland  having  previously  acted) 
extended  the  invitation  to  the  other  state  assemblies,  urging  the 
appointment  of  delegates  to  a  general  conference,  to  be  held  in  Annap- 
olis, September  1 1 ,  1 786.  Five  states  only,  Pennsylvania,  New  York, 
New  Jersey,  Delaware  and  Virginia,  responded  to  this  call.  Delegates 
from  several  others  had  been  duly  appointed  but,  tlu-ough  a  variety 
of  blunders,  failed  to  receive  due  notice  or  proper  credentials  and  were 
not  present,  while  those  in  attendance  found  themselves  vested  with 
such  limited  power  and  in  such  a  small  minority  that  they  did  little 
else  than  draw  up  a  report  reiterating  in  substance  the  suggestions 
of  the  Mount  Vernon  convention  for  a  revision  of  the  confederated 
system  of  government  and  recommending  a  general  convention  of 
delegates  with  increased  powers  to  be  held  in  Philadelphia  on  the 
second  Monday  of  May  following. 

The  resolutions  of  the  Annapolis  convention  were  promptly 
approved  by  the  several  state  legislatures  and  delegates  appointed  to 
a  general  council  to  be  held  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  May  24,  1787. 

As  the  time  set  for  this  convention  approached,  the  legislature  of 
Virginia  selected  its  delegates,  and  Washington,  by  unanimous  vote, 
was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  delegation.     For  some  time  he  hesitated 


2 

p 

o 

2 
S 


pq 


w 

o 
z 

Q 
w 

w 
o 

o 
o 


WASHINGTON  AGAIN   IN   PRIVATE   LIFE.  I43 

to  accept  the  position.  "  It  will  have, "  said  he,  in  a  letter  to  Edmund 
Randolph,  then  governor  of  the  Commonwealth,  "a  tendency  to 
sweep  me  back  into  the  tide  of  public  affairs,  when  retirement  and  ease 
are  so  much  desired  by  me  and  so  essentially  necessary.  " 

Wliile  still  debating  the  subject  in  his  mind,  he  received  notice  of 
the  serious  illness  of  his  mother  and  sister  and,  as  his  diary  shows,  he 
hastened  to  Fredericksburg,  where  they  both  Uved : 

Mount  Vernon,  April  26th :  Receiving  an  express  between  four  and  five  o'clock 
this  afternoon  informing  me  of  the  extreme  illness  of  my  mother  and  sister  Lewis, 
I  resolved  to  set  out  for  Fredericksburg  by  daylight  in  the  morning. 

At  Fredericksburg,  April  27th:  About  sunrise,  I  commenced  my  journey  as 
intended — bated  at  Dumfries,  and  reached  Fredericksburg  before  two  o'clock  and 
found  both  my  mother  and  sister  better  than  I  expected — the  latter  out  of  danger 
as  is  supposed,  but  the  extreme  low  state  in  which  the  former  was,  left  little  hope  of 
her  recovery  as  she  was  exceedingly  reduced  and  much  debilitated  by  age  and  the 
disorder — dined  and  lodged  at  my  sister's. 

The  importunities  of  his  friends  finally  prevailed  and  on  the 
loth  of  May,  only  a  few  days  after  his  return  from  the  bedside  of  his 
mother,  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  he  set  out  in  his  carriage  to 
attend  the  meeting  of  the  convention  in  Philadelphia,  which  was 
scheduled  to  convene  on  the  14th  and  with  General  Mifflin,  speaker 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Assembly,  Generals  Knox  and  Varnum  and  Col- 
onel Humphries,  who  had  joined  him  at  Chester,  he  arrived  at  his 
destination  on  the  evening  of  the  13th. 

In  the  absence  of  a  quortim,  the  convention  was  not  organized 
until  the  25th.  On  that  date,  a  delegate  from  New  Jersey  arriving, 
increased  the  number  of  states  to  seven,  a  majority  of  the  whole,  which 
constituted  a  legal  quorum  for  the  transaction  of  business. 

The  convention  immediately  settled  down  to  its  difficult  and 
important  task.  Composed  of  some  of  the  ablest  men  in  the  country, 
it  had  been  declared  by  capable  critics,  in  point  of  intellectual  strength 
and  the  exalted  character  of  its  membership,  to  rank  with  the  world's 
greatest  representative  assemblies. 

After  working  from  four  to  seven  hours  a  day  for  nearly  four 
months,  the  constitution  was  finally  agreed  to  on  the  17th  day  of 
September,  1787,  and  signed  by  all  the  representatives  present  except 
George  Mason  and  Edmund  Randolph  of  Virginia  and  Elbridge 
Gerry  of  Massachusetts.  These  gentlemen  claimed  the  federal 
compact  nullified  or  abridged  to  a  dangerous  extent  the  distinctive 
rights  of  the  states  and,  therefore,  dechned  to  sanction  its  adoption 
without  several  important  changes. 


t44  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

The  following  is  a  full  list  of  the  signatures  to  the  instrument: 


George 
New  Hampshire. 


Washington,  President. 

Delaware. 
George  Read, 
Gunning  Bedford,  Jr., 
John  Dickinson, 
Richard  Bassett, 
Jacob  Broom. 

Maryland. 

James  M' Henry, 

Daniel  (of  St.  Thomas)  Jenifer. 

Daniel  Carroll. 

Virgin  LA. 

John  Blair, 

James  Madison,  Jr. 

North  Carolina. 

William  Blount, 
Richard  Dobbs  Spaight, 
Hugh  Williamson. 

South  Carolina. 

John  Rutledge, 

Charles  Cotesworthy  Pinckney, 

Charles  Pinckney, 

Pierce  Butler. 

Georgia. 
William  Few, 
Abraham  Baldwin. 


John  Langdon, 
Nicholas  Gilman. 

Massachusetts. 
Nathaniel  Gorham, 
Rufus  King. 

Connecticut. 

William  Sherman  Johnson, 
Roger  Sherman. 

New  York. 

Alexander  Hamilton. 

New  Jersey. 

William  Livingston, 
David  Brearly, 
William  Patterson, 
Jonathan  Dayton. 

Pennsylvania. 

Benjamin  Franklin, 
Thomas  Mifflin, 
Robert  Morris, 
George  Clymer, 
Thomas  Fitzsimmoos, 
Jared  Ingersoll, 
James  Wilson, 
Gouvemeur  Morris. 

Attest  : 

William  Jackson,  Secretary. 

The  instrument,  after  being  signed,  was  forwarded  to  Congress 
and  by  that  body  sent  to  the  several  legislatures  to  be  submitted  in 
each  state  to  a  convention  of  delegates  chosen  by  the  people,  for 
approval  or  rejection. 

At  last  the  measure  was  full,  the  goal  had  been  reached  and 
triumph  written  on  the  labors  of  the  sons  of  America.  From  the 
healthy  germ  of  a  private  venture  had  grown  the  national  tree,  under 
whose  refreshing  shades  the  oppressed  of  every  nation  would  gather 
to  breathe  the  invigorating  air  and  imbibe  the  elevating  spirit  of 
American  independence. 


WASHINGTON   AGAIN   IN   PRIVATE   LIFE.  1 45 

Three  sentinels  loom  up  through  the  shadows  of  our  country's 
past  to  tell  the  magic  story  of  man's  achievements.  The  Virginia 
convention  and  continental  congress  of  1776,  which  gave  to  America 
and  the  world  the  Bill  of  Rights  and  Declaration  of  Independence, 
and  the  constitutional  convention  of  1787,  which  supplied  the  basic 
law  of  our  land. 

Immediately  after  the  convention  closed,  General  Washington 
returned  to  Mount  Vernon,  arriving  there  Saturday,  September  22, 
1787,  "about  sunset,"  having  been  absent  four  months  and  fourteen 
days. 

While  sharing  the  general  alarm  at  the  unsettled  condition  of  his 
country,  Washington's  domestic  pursuits  and  social  engagements  had 
not  been  seriously  interrupted  during  those  months  of  doubt  and 
uncertainty.  He  continued  his  farming  interests  with  energy;  paid 
frequent  visits  to  his  friends,  among  them  George  Mason  of  Gunston 
Hall,  who  was  also  again  in  private  life;  participated  in  numerous 
festivities  in  Alexandria ;  restored  his  fox  kennel  and,  when  the  game 
was  in  season,  enjoyed  the  chase  as  he  had  in  the  tranquil  days  of  his 
early  married  life.  He  was  likewise  busy  in  transplanting  shrubs  and 
in  decorating  his  lawns  around  the  mansion  with  box  and  other  ever- 
greens, such  as  holly  and  hemlock  "from  the  Occoquan. " 

It  will  be  recalled  that  just  after  the  battle  of  Yorktown,  Mrs. 
Washington's  only  remaining  child,  John  Parke  Custis,  died  at  Eltham, 
in  New  Kent  County,  the  home  of  her  sister,  Mrs.  Bassett,  and  that 
immediately  after  the  death  of  young  Custis  General  Washington 
adopted  his  two  youngest  children,  Nellie  and  George  Washington 
Parke  Custis.  These  children  now  enlivened  the  household  at  Mount 
Vernon  and  proved  then,  as  in  after  years,  a  great  source  of  comfort 
to  the  General  and  his  amiable  wife.  Their  mother,  Mrs.  Custis,  had 
married  a  second  husband,  Dr.  David  Stuart  of  Alexandria,  an  inti- 
mate friend  of  General  Washington,  and  resided  at  Abingdon,  the 
Custis  residence  (stiU  standing),  on  the  Virginia  side  of  the  Potomac 
nearly  opposite  the  present  city  of  Washington. 

The  relations  between  the  two  families  were  very  intimate  and  the 
General  in  his  diary  frequently  notes  his  visits  to  and  from  the  Stuarts. 
There  are  a  number  of  instances  in  Washington's  life,  where  he  became 
attached  to  and  reposed  implicit  confidence  in  men  very  much  younger 
than  himself.  In  forming  his  friendships,  he  appears  not  to  have 
considered  age  at  all.  Character  seems  to  have  been  the  essential 
qualification  to  win  his  afi'ection.     Thus  we  find  him  seeking  advice 


146  WASHINGTON   THE  MAN  AND   THE   MASON, 

from  such  precocious  youths  as  Alexander  Hamilton,  Lafayette, 
Light  Horse  Harry  Lee,  and  John  Marshall.  Stuart  was  in  this  class, 
and  it  speaks  well  for  the  young  doctor  who  had  married  the  widow 
of  his  stepson. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  alacrity  with  which  Washington  steps 
from  the  solemn  and  important  duties  of  life  to  the  trivial  but  to  him 
fascinating  pastimes,  and  it  was  probably  this  happy  faculty  to  banish 
care  for  innocent  enjoyment  and  the  convivial  society  of  his  friends 
for  short  periods  that  sustained  him  in  the  days  of  his  deepest  anxiety 
and  greatest  responsibihty.  He  might  be  absent  from  Mount  Vernon 
for  years,  busy  with  mighty  problems,  but  immediately  upon  his  return 
he  would  resume  his  favorite  amusements  with  almost  youthful  ardor. 
It  was  the  human,  the  natural  side  of  the  man,  and  is  most  eloquently 
portrayed  in  the  simple  jottings  of  his  daily  record. 

Autumn  seems  to  have  been  his  favorite  season  for  pleasure.  He 
could  hunt  and  fish  and  attend  the  races  and  barbacues  and  go  on 
picnics,  care-free  and  exuberant. 

On  September  loth,  "Rid  with  Fanny  Bassett  (his  wife's  niece),  Mr.  Taylor 
and  Mr.  Shaw  to  meet  a  party  from  Alexandria  at  Johnson's  Springs,  on  my  land 
where  Clifton  formerly  lived,  where  we  dined  on  cold  dinner,  brought  from  town 
(Alexandria)  by  water  and  spent  the  afternoon  agreeably;  returned  home  by  sun- 
down or  a  little  after." 

And  on  October  2nd,  1785, — "Went  with  Fanny  Bassett,  Burwell  Bassett,  Dr. 
Stuart,  G.  A.  Washington,  Mr.  Shaw  and  Nellie  Custis  to  Pohick;  to  hear  Mr. 
Thompson  preach,  who  returned  home  with  us  to  dinner,  where  I  found  the  Reverend 
M.  Jones,  formerly  chaplain  in  one  of  the  Pennsylvania  regiments.  After  we  were 
in  bed  (about  eleven  o'clock  in  the  evening)  Mr.  Houdon,  sent  from  Paris  by  Dr. 
Franklin  and  Mr.  Jefferson  to  take  my  bust,  in  behalf  of  the  State  of  Virginia,  with 
three  young  men  assistants  arrived  here  by  water  from  the  latter  place." 

October  7th — "Sat  this  day,  as  I  had  done  yesterday  for  Mr.  Houdon  to  form 
my  bust." 

(The  General  Assembly  of  Virginia  having  passed  a  resolution  (June  22nd, 
1784)  that  "The  Executive  be  requested  to  take  measures  for  procuring  a  statue 
of  General  Washington  to  be  of  the  finest  marble  and  best  workmanship,"  Governor 
Harrison  directed  Thomas  Jefferson,  then  in  Paris,  to  engage  the  service  of  a  suitable 
person  for  the  purpose.  Mr.  Jefferson  thereupon  contracted  with  the  celebrated 
statuary,  Jean  Antoine  Houdon,  to  undertake  the  work.  Mr.  Houdon  was  unwill- 
ing to  do  so  without  seeing  Washington  and  accordingly  arrangements  were  made 
for  his  visiting  the  United  States.  He  remained  at  Mount  Vernon  until  October  19, 
during  which  time  he  made  a  cast  of  the  face  from  which  a  bust  was  modelled,  and 
took  minute  measurements  of  the  figure  of  Washington.  The  statue  was  com- 
pleted in  1788,  but  was  not  put  in  position  in  the  Capitol  at  Richmond  until  May 


WASHINGTON   AGAIN   IN   PRIVATE  LIFE.  147 

2nd,  1796.  The  figure  has  been  pronounced  by  Lafayette  "a  facsimile  of  Wash- 
ington's person,"  while  the  bust  is  held  as  the  acknowledged  likeness  of  the  great 
American.) 

Only  eight  days  after  the  above  incident,  he  informs  us  that  "the 
Reverend  Mr.  Spence  Grayson  and  David  Griffith,  Lund  Washington, 
his  wife  and  Miss  Stuart  came  to  dinner,  all  of  whom  remained  the 
evening  except  L.  W.  .  .  .  After  the  candles  were  lighted  George 
Augustine  Washington  and  Frances  Bassett  were  married  by  Mr. 
Grayson." 

He  writes: 

On  October  9th,  1786 — "At  Mount  Vernon — Allowed  all  my  people  to  go  to 
the  races  in  Alexandria  in  one  of  three  days  as  best  comported  with  their  respective 
business — leaving  careful  persons  on  the  plantations." 

October  loth — "At  Alexandria — In  company  with  Major  Washington  and  Mr. 
Lear  went  up  to  Alexandria  to  see  the  Jockey  Club  purse  run  for  (which  was  won 
by  Mr.  Snickers),  dined  by  invitation  with  the  members  of  it  and  returned  home  in 
the  evening." 

November  loth — "With  Mrs.  Washington  and  all  the  family,  I  went  to  Alex- 
andria and  dined  with  Doctor  Craik — returned  in  the  evening." 

On  December  22,  1785,  he  takes  part  in  a  very  interesting  and,  we 
can  imagine,  somewhat  exciting  chase: 

Went  fox  hunting  with  the  gentlemen  who  came  here  yesterday  (Daniel 
Dulaney,  Jr.,  Benjamin  Dulaney,  Samuel  Hanson,  Thomas  Hanson,  Philip  Alex- 
ander), together  with  Fernando  Washington  and  Mr.  Shaw,  after  a  very  early  break- 
fast— found  a  fox  just  back  of  Muddy  hole  plantation  and  after  a  chase  of  an  hour 
and  a  quarter  with  my  dogs  and  eight  couple  of  Doctor  Smith's  (brought  by  Mr. 
Phil  Alexander)  we  put  him  into  a  hollow  tree,  in  which  we  fastened  him,  and  in  the 
Pincushion  put  up  another  fox,  which  in  an  hour  and  thirteen  minutes  was  killed — 
we  then  after  allowing  the  fox  in  the  hole  half  an  hour  put  the  dogs  upon  his  trail 
and  in  half  a  mile  he  took  to  another  hollow  tree  and  was  again  put  out  of  it  but  he 
did  not  go  six  hundred  yards  before  he  had  recourse  to  the  same  shift — finding 
therefore  that  he  was  a  conquered  fox  we  took  the  dogs  off,  and  came  home  to 
dinner. 

On  January  2,  1786,  a  few  days  after  this,  he  goes  hunting  again 
but  rain  drives  him  in.  The  following  entries  with  their  dates  show 
how  passionately  fond  the  General  was  of  this  particular  sport.  He 
apparently  sometimes  goes  alone  and  thinks  it  of  sufficient  interest  to 
cat  ef ully  note  in  liis  diary : 

January  4th,  1786 — "After  breakfast  I  rid  by  the  places  where  my  Muddy  hole 
and  Ferry  people  were  clearing — thence  to  the  Mill  and  Dogue  Run  plantations  and 
having  the  hounds  with  me  in  passing  from  the  latter  towards  Muddy  hole  planta- 
tion I  found  a  fox  which  after  dragging  him  some  distance  and  running  him  hard  for 
nearly  an  hour  was  killed  by  the  cross  road  in  front  of  the  house." 


148  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

January  loth,  1786 — "  Rid  to  my  plantation  in  the  Neck  and  took  the  hounds 
with  me,  about  eleven  o'clock  found  a  fox  in  the  Pocoson  at  Sheridan's  point  and 
after  running  it  very  indifferently  and  treeing  it  once  caught  it  about  one  o'clock." 

January  14th,  1786— "Went  out  with  the  hounds  and  run  a  fox  from  eleven 
o'clock  until  near  three  o'clock  when  I  came  home  and  left  the  dogs  at  fault  after 
which  they  recovered  the  fox  and  it  is  supposed  killed  it." 

January  28th,  1786 — "  Went  out  after  breakfast  with  my  hounds — found  a  fox 
on  the  branch  within  Mr.  Thomson  Mason's  field  and  run  him,  sometimes  hard  and 
sometimes  at  cold  hunting  from  eleven  o'clock  till  near  two  when  I  came  home 
and  left  the  huntsman  with  them  who  followed  in  the  same  manner  two  hours  or 
more  longer,  and  then  took  the  dogs  off  without  killing." 

These  notes  from  day  to  day  show  the  happy,  care-free,  the  per- 
fectly natural  life  of  the  plain,  well-to-do  country  gentleman.  The 
Reverend  Jedediah  Moss,  who  visited  Alount  Vernon  in  1 7S9,  furnishes 
an  excellent  description  of  the  habits  and  routine  farm  life  of  the 
General,  which  we  cannot  forbear  to  publish: 

He  rises,  in  winter  as  well  as  summer,  at  the  dawn  of  day;  and  generally  reads 
or  writes  some  time  before  breakfast.  He  breakfasts  about  seven  o'clock  on  three 
small  Indian  hoe-cakes  and  as  many  dishes  of  tea.  He  rides  immediately  to  his  dif- 
ferent farms,  and  remains  with  his  labourers  until  a  little  past  two  o'clock,  when  he 
returns  and  dresses.  At  three  he  dines :  whether  there  be  company  or  not,  the  table 
is  always  prepared  by  its  elegance  and  exuberance  for  their  reception;  and  the 
General  remains  at  it  for  an  hour  after  dinner  in  familiar  conversation  and  convivial 
hilarity.  It  is  then  that  every  one  present  is  called  upon  to  give  some  absent  friend 
as  a  toast;  the  name  not  unfrequently  awakens  a  pleasant  remembrance  of  past 
events,  and  gives  a  new  turn  to  the  animated  colloquy.  General  Washington  is 
more  cheerful  than  he  was  in  the  army.  Although  his  temper  is  rather  of  a  serious 
cast  and  his  countenance  commonly  carries  the  impression  of  thoughtfulness,  yet 
he  perfectly  relishes  a  pleasant  story,  an  unaffected  sally  of  wit  or  burlesque  descrip- 
tion which  surprises  by  its  suddenness  and  congruity  with  the  ordinary  appearance 
of  the  object  described.  After  this  sociable  and  innocent  relaxation,  he  applies 
himself  to  business ;  and  about  nine  o'clock  retires  to  rest.  This  is  the  routine,  and 
this  the  hour  he  observes  when  no  one  but  his  family  is  present;  at  other  times  he 
attends  politely  upon  his  company  until  they  wish  to  withdraw. 

As  the  time  approached  for  the  ratification  of  the  national  con- 
stitution by  the  Virginia  convention,  Washington  clearly  manifested 
a  sense  of  uneasiness.  He  was  extremely  anxious  that  Virginia  should 
approve  the  instrument  by  a  substantial  majority  but,  as  many  of  his 
friends  and  former  political  associates,  among  them  Richard  Henry 
Lee,  George  Mason,  Patrick  Henr>',  and  Colonel  William  Grayson, 
were  fearful  of  the  loss  of  states'  rights  and  were  earnestly  opposing 
the  instrument,  he  was  apprehensive  of  the  outcome.  He  refused  to 
stand  as  delegate  to  the  Virginia  convention  which  was  called  to  con- 


WASHINGTON   AGAIN   IN   PRIVATE   LIFE.  I49 

sider  the  subject  but  actively  assisted  in  the  election  of  his  friends,  Dr. 
David  Stuart  and  Colonel  Charles  Simms,  as  representatives  from 
Fairfax  County. 

The  constitution  was  ratified  by  the  different  states  in  the  fol- 
lowing order:  Delaware,  December  7;  Pennsylvania,  December  12; 
New  Jersey,  December  18,  1787;  Georgia,  January  2;  Connecticut, 
January  9;  Massachusetts,  February  6;  Maryland,  April  28;  South 
Carolina,  May  23;  New  Hampshire,  June  21 ;  Virginia,  June  25;  New 
York,  July  26,  1788;  North  Carolina,  November  21,  1789,  and  Rhode 
Island,  May  29,  1790. 

In  his  diary,  June  28,  1788,  he  records: 

At  Alexandria — "The  inhabitants  of  Alexandria,  having  received  the  news  of 
the  Ratification  of  the  proposed  Constitution  by  this  State,  and  that  of  New  Hamp- 
shire— and  having  determined  on  public  rejoicings,  part  of  which  to  be  in  a  dinner, 
to  which  this  family  was  invited,  Col.  Humphreys,  my  nephew,  G.  A.  Washington, 
and  myself  went  up  to  it  and  returned  in  the  afternoon." 

On  the  same  day,  after  returning  to  Mount  Vernon,  he  wrote  to 
Charles  Cotesworthy  Pinckney  (after  describing  the  function  in 
Alexandria) : 

Thus  the  citizens  of  Alexandria,  when  convened,  constituted  the  first  public 
company  in  America,  which  had  the  pleasure  of  pouring  a  libation  to  the  prosperity 
of  the  ten  states,  that  had  actually  adopted  the  general  government.  The  day 
itself  is  memorable  for  more  reasons  than  one.  It  was  recollected  that  this  day  is 
the  anniversary  of  the  battles  of  Sullivan's  Island  and  Monmouth.  I  have  just 
returned  from  assisting  at  the  entertainment. 

A  sufficient  number  of  states  having  ratified  the  federal  consti- 
tution, Congress  on  September  13,  1788: 

Resolved,  That  the  first  Wednesday  in  January  next  (1789)  be  the  day  for 
appointing  electors  in  the  several  states,  which  before  the  said  day  shall  have  ratified 
the  said  Constitution ;  that  the  first  Wednesday  in  February  next  be  the  day  for  the 
electors  to  assemble  in  their  respective  states  and  vote  for  a  president ;  and  that  the 
first  Wednesday  in  March  next  be  the  time,  and  the  present  seat  of  Congress  (New 
York)  the  place  for  commencing  proceedings  imder  the  said  Constitution. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  add  that  General  Washington  received  the 
entire  vote  of  the  electoral  college  and  was  therefore  imanimously 
elected  first  President  of  the  United  States. 

The  conventions  of  177 4- 1775  and  1776  were  notable  bodies .  The 
old  confederation,  a  child  of  the  revolution,  bom  in  1777,  amid  the  san- 
guinary struggles  of  a  desperate  people,  had  proven  a  woeful  failure 
and  was  soon  to  be  a  thing  of  the  past. 


I50 


WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE)   MASON. 


For  the  benefit  of  our  readers,  we  subjoin  a  list  of  the  several 
presidents  under  those  primitive  systems  of  government,  with  the 
places  of  meeting  of  the  congress  from  1774  to  17S8: 

Elected. 


Born.  Died. 

Sept.  5,  1774  1723  1775 

Oct.  26,  1774  ....  .... 

May  10,  1775  1723  1775 

May  24,  1775  1737  1793 

Nov.  I,  1777  1724  1792 

Dec.  10, 1778  1745  1829 

Sept.  28,  1779  1732  1796 

July  10,  1781  1734  1817 

Nov.  5,1781  1783 

Nov.    4,  1782  1740  1821 

Nov.    3;  1783  1744  1800 

Nov,  30,  1784  1732  1794 

Nov.  23,  1785  1737  1793 

June    6,  1786  1738  1796 

Feb.     2, 1787  1735  1818 

Jan.    26,  1788  1748  1810 

Convened.  Adjourned. 

Sept.    5,  1774  Oct.   26,  1774 

May  10,  1775  Dec.  12, 1776 

Dec.  20,1776  Mar.    4,1777 

Mar.    4,  1777  Sept.  18, 1777 

Sept.  27, 1777  Sept.  27, 1777 

Sept.  30,  1777  June  27,  1778 

July     2,  1778  June  21,  1783 

June  30,  1783  Nov.    4,  1783 

Nov.  26,  1783  June    3,  1784 

Nov.    I,  1784  Dec.  24,  1784 

Jan.    11,1785  Nov.    4,1785 

Nov.    7,  1785  Nov.    3,  1786 

Nov.    6,  1786  Oct.    30,  1787 

Nov.    5,  1787  Oct.    21,  1788 


Peyton  Randolph  of  Virginia, 
Henry  Middleton  of  South  Carolina, 
Peyton  Randolph  of  Virginia, 
John  Hancock  of  IMassachusetts, 
Henry  Laurens  of  South  Carolina, 
John  Jay  of  New  York, 
Samuel  Huntington,  Connecticut, 
Thos.  McKean  of  Pennsylvania, 
Jno.  Hanson  of  Maryland,    . 
Eliaa  Boudmont  of  New  Jersey,  . 
Thos.  Mifflin  of  Pennsylvania,     . 
Richard  Henry  Lee  of  Virginia,  . 
Jno.  Hancock  of  Massachusetts, 
Nathaniel  Gorham  of  Massachusetts, 
Arthur  St.  Clair  of  Pennsylvania, 
Cyrus  Griffin  of  Virginia, 

Place  of  Meeting. 
ist  Philadelphia, 
2nd  Philadelphia, 
3rd  Baltimore, 
4th  Philadelphia,  . 
5th  Lancaster,  Pa., 
6th  York,  Pa., 
7th  Philadelphia, 
8th  Princeton,  N.  J., 
9th  Annapolis,  Md., 
loth  Trenton,  N.  J., 
nth  New  York,    . 
12  th  New  York,    . 
13th  New  York,    . 
14th  New  York,    . 

It  may  be  that  some  of  our  readers  are  curious  to  know  the  fate 
of  Washington's  cherished  business  venture,  the  Potomac  Company. 
He  had  been  the  leading  spirit  in  its  organization  and  largely  instru- 
mental in  placing  the  corporation  on  a  firm  business  basis,  with  bright 
prospects  for  a  successful  future.  Installed  as  president  of  the  com- 
pany May  30,  1785,  he  served  approximately  four  years  until  Alarch 
3,  1789,  to  the  utmost  satisfaction  of  the  numerous  stockholders. 
But  wider  fields  of  usefulness  opened  to  him ;  more  important  objects 


No.  of  days. 

52  days 
582  days 

75  days 
199  days 

I  day 

272  days 

1 8 16  days 

127  days 

189  daj-s 

54  days 
298  days 
362  days 
359  days 
353  days 


WASHINGTON   AGAIN   IN  PRIVATE   LIFE.  151 

demanded  his  attention ;  the  people  were  clamoring  for  his  steady  hand 
to  guide  the  new  ship  of  state  and,  in  obedience  to  their  call,  he  laid 
aside  his  private  affairs  and  personal  interests  and  embarked  again  on 
the  turbulent  sea  of  public  duty. 

After  the  retirement  of  General  Washington  as  president,  public 
interest  in  the  corporation  began  to  lag.  The  first  estimated  cost  of 
$250,000,  and  the  time  limit  of  three  years  to  complete  the  work,  were 
insufficient.  Amendments  to  the  original  charter  extending  the  time 
were  obtained  from  the  legislature  of  the  contributory  states  but  other 
obstacles  of  a  more  serious  nature  confronted  the  now  struggling  com- 
pany, which  proved  in  the  end  insurmountable.  It  had  never  been 
the  intention  of  the  organizers  to  do  more  than  deepen  the  channel  of 
the  natural  stream,  by  removing  obstructions  to  navigation,  and 
build  locks  and  sluices  around  the  falls  and  rapids. 

The  successful  prosecution  of  the  work  on  the  Erie  Canal, 
xmdertaken  by  a  sister  state,  with  its  365  miles  of  continuous  inland 
waterway,  supplying  superior  facilities  for  navigation,  discouraged 
their  effort  and  proved  their  original  plan  futile  and  thus,  after  a  tedi- 
ous struggle  of  thirty-six  years  and  an  expenditure  of  $729,000,  this 
time-honored  institution  was  abandoned  in  July,  1823.  From  its 
termination  originated  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Canal,  over  which  are 
annually  transported  thousands  of  tons  of  bituminous  coal  from  the 
mountains  of  Maryland  and  West  Virginia  to  tidewater  at  Georgetown 
in  the  District  of  Columbia.  Financially,  the  venture  proved  a  dis- 
couraging failure,  but  it  opened  the  way  and  was  the  very  beginning  of 
the  great  system  of  inland  navigation  which  first  linked  the  east  to  the 
west  in  a  commercial  chain  so  advantageous  to  both. 

An  incident  of  more  than  passing  interest  in  the  life  of  Washing- 
ton, which  connects  his  name  with  the  birth  of  steam  navigation,  is 
associated  with  this  development  company.  Among  the  early 
employees  of  the  corporation  was  James  Rumsey,  a  superintendent 
of  the  upper  Potomac  River  improvement.  While  thus  employed, 
Rumsey  invented  a  method  of  propelling  boats  by  steam.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1 7S7,  he  gave  a  public  demonstration  of  his  invention  at  Shepards- 
town  and  the  following  testimonial  from  General  Washington,  who 
witnessed  the  experiment,  is  an  evidence  of  the  success  of  the  little 
vessel  on  its  trial  trip. 

I  have  seen  the  model  of  Mr.  Ritmsey's  boat,  constructed  to  work  against 
stream ;  have  examined  the  power  upon  which  it  acts ;  have  been  an  eye-witness  to 
an  actual  experiment  in  running  water  of  some  rapidity;  and  do  give  it  as  my 


152  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN  AND  THE   MASON. 

opinion  (altho  I  had  little  faith  before)  that  he  has  discovered  the  art  of  propelling 
boats  by  mechanism  and  small  manual  assistance  against  rapid  currents ;  that  the 
discovery  is  of  vast  importance,  maybe  of  the  greatest  usefulness  in  our  inland  navi- 
gation and,  if  it  succeeds,  of  which  I  have  no  doubt,  that  the  value  of  it  is  greatly 
enhanced  by  the  simplicity  of  the  works,  which  when  seen  and  explained  to,  might 
be  executed  by  the  most  common  mechanic. 

Given  under  my  hand  at  the  town  of  Bath,  County  of  Berkley,  in  the  State  of 
Virginia,  this  7th  day  of  September,  1 784. 

(Signed)        Geo.  Washington. 

During  the  winter  of  1788  Rumsey  went  to  Philadelphia,  where 
he  formed  the  Rumseyan  Society  with  Benjamin  Franklin  as  treasurer. 
This  association  sent  the  inventor  to  London  in  the  following  May, 
where,  after  securing  the  proper  patents  on  his  device,  he  constructed 
a  boat  and  launched  it  on  the  Thames  in  the  spring  of  1790.  While 
thus  employed  he  met  Robert  Fulton  and  the  two  soon  became  warm 
friends.  After  the  death  of  Rumsey  in  London,  December,  1792, 
Fulton  took  up  the  work  and  spent  nearly  twenty  years  constructing  a 
model  virtually  on  the  plan  of  the  original  designer. 

The  application  of  steam  to  maritime  commerce  obliterated  dis- 
tance, changed  the  economic  and  poHtical  aspect  of  the  world,  and 
made  Robert  Fulton  with  his  "Claremont"  a  household  word,  while 
the  name  of  Rumsey,  the  humble  employee  of  the  Potomac  Company, 
the  real  inventor  and  pioneer  in  steam  navigation,  rests  under  the 
shades  of  unmerited  obsciu-ity,  almost  unknown  and  entirely  unre- 
warded by  posterity. 


o 
z 


z 


WASHINGTON  THE  PRESIDENT 

N  DECEMBER  4,  1788,  General  Washington  wrote: 

The  more  I  am  acquainted  with  agricultural  affairs  the 
better  I  am  pleased  with  them;  insomuch,  that  I  can  nowhere 
find  so  great  satisfaction  as  in  those  innocent  and  useful  pur- 
suits. In  indulging  these  feelings,  I  am  led  to  reflect  how 
much  more  delightful  to  an  imdebauched  mind  is  the  task  of 
making  improvements  on  the  earth,  than  all  the  vain  glory  which  can  be  acquired 
from  ravaging  it,  by  the  most  uninterrupted  career  of  conquests. 

Such  were  the  sentiments  of  this  "Cincinnatus  of  the  West," 
privately  expressed,  only  a  few  months  before  the  unanimous  voice 
of  the  people  called  him  from  his  pastoral  pursuits  to  install  the  new 
govenmient.  He  was  loath  to  exchange  the  quiet  of  his  rural  retreat, 
with  all  its  attractions,  for  this  untrodden  field  of  political  experiment. 
Mount  Vernon  was  his  haven  for  rest,  his  peaceful  harbor.  To  it  he 
was  bound  by  the  strongest  ties  of  domestic  felicity,  and  neither  the 
honor  of  exalted  station  nor  the  prospect  of  political  power  was  an 
inducement  sufficient  to  entice  him  away  from  the  tranquil  scenes  of 
his  beloved  home.  Virtually  his  whole  life  had  been  consecrated  to  the 
service  of  his  country,  and  he  had  returned  from  the  revolution  fully 
resolved  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  days  "cultivating  the  friend- 
ship of  good  men,"  but  the  tide  of  public  sentiment,  an  irresistible, 
subtle  force,  stronger  even  than  his  own  iron  will,  was  sweeping  him 
along  before  it,  bearing  him  out  on  the  turbulent  ocean  of  pubUc  life 
again.  It  was  the  call  of  his  distressed  coimtry,  the  plaintive  voice 
of  the  people  pleading  to  their  deliverer,  and  in  all  the  years  of  his 
busy  life  he  had  never  turned  a  deaf  ear  or  failed  to  respond  to  their 
suppHcations,  regardless  of  personal  inclinations  or  sacrifice. 

He  reaUzed  that  the  organization  of  the  new  government,  with 
its  various  departments  and  ramifications,  was  a  stupendous  under- 
taking and  honestly  doubted  his  ability  to  discharge  the  manifold 
duties  of  the  untried  situation  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  public  and 
with  credit  to  himself. 

His  letters  on  the  subject  clearly  indicate  the  gloomy  forebodings 
of  his  mind  and  the  depth  of  his  anxiety  at  the  approach  of  the  day 
of  inauguration. 

153 


154  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN    AND   THE   MASON. 

On  March  9,  just  before  the  votes  were  counted,  he  wrote  to 
Benjamin  Harrison: 

I  will  therefore  declare  to  you  that,  if  it  should  be  my  inevitable  fate,  to  ad- 
minister the  government  (for  Heaven  knows,  that  no  event  can  be  less  desired  by 
me,  that  no  earthly  consideration  short  of  so  general  a  call,  together  with  a  desire 
to  reconcile  contending  parties  as  far  as  in  me  lies,  could  again  bring  me  into  public 
life),  I  will  go  to  the  chair  under  no  pre-engagement  of  any  kind  or  nature  what- 
soever. But,  when  in  it,  I  will,  to  the  best  of  my  judgment,  discharge  the  duties 
of  the  office  with  that  impartiality  and  zeal  for  the  public  good,  which  ought  never 
to  suffer  connexions  of  blood  or  friendship  to  intermingle  so  as  to  have  the  least 
sway  on  decisions  of  a  public  nature. 

And  to  General  Knox,  on  April  i,  he  frankly  expresses  his 
apprehensions : 

In  confidence  I  tell  you  (with  the  world  it  would  obtain  little  credit)  that  my 
movements  to  the  chair  of  government  will  be  accompanied  by  feelings  not  unlike 
those  of  a  culprit,  who  is  going  to  the  place  of  his  execution;  so  unwilling  am  I,  in 
the  evening  of  a  life  so  nearly  consumed  in  public  cares,  to  quit  a  peaceful  abode 
for  an  ocean  of  difficulties,  without  that  competency  of  political  skill,  abilities  and 
inclination,  which  are  necessary  to  manage  the  helm.  I  am  sensible  that  I  am 
embarking  the  voice  of  the  people,  and  a  good  name  of  my  own,  in  this  voyage; 
but  what  returns  will  be  made  for  them,  Heaven  alone  can  foretell.  Integrity  and 
firmness  are  all  I  can  promise. 

"Integrity  and  firmness  are  all  I  can  promise" — how  well  he 
kept  this  promise  a  critical  but  impartial  posterity  has  amply  testified. 

Notwithstanding  that  the  time  appointed  for  the  organization 
of  the  new  government  was  the  fourth  of  March,  1789,  through  the 
tardiness  of  the  members  elect,  the  House  of  Representatives  was 
not  formed  until  the  first,  nor  the  Senate  until  the  fifth  of  April. 
On  that  day  at  a  joint  session  of  these  bodies  the  votes  were  opened 
and  counted.  Washington,  having  received  all  of  the  sixty-nine  cast 
by  the  ten  states  participating  in  the  election  (New  York,  Rhode 
Island  and  North  CaroHna  were  not  represented) ,  was  declared  elected 
President  of  the  United  States,  and  John  Adams,  having  received  the 
highest  number  of  votes  (thirty-four)  for  Vice-President,  was  also 
declared  elected  to  that  office.  Adams  was  installed  in  the  chair  of 
the  Senate  on  April  2 1 . 

Anticipating  coming  events,  Washington  on  March  7  paid  a 
farewell  visit  to  his  mother  in  Fredericksburg.  Arriving  on  Saturday 
evening,  he  returned  to  Mount  Vernon  the  following  Monday  morning. 
This  was  the  last  meeting  between  Washington  and  his  venerable 
parent,  as  she  died  on  the  25th  day  of  August  following  (1789)  at  the 
age  of  eighty-one. 


WASHINGTON   THE   PRESIDENT.  I55 

General  Washington  was  officially  notified  of  his  election  by  Mr. 
Charles  Thompson,  Secretary  of  the  late  Congress,  on  the  14th  day 
of  April,  1789,  and  on  the  i6th,  two  days  later,  about  ten  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  he  set  out  from  Mount  Vernon  on  his  journey  to  New 
York.  This  trip  proved  a  veritable  ovation  from  start  to  finish. 
Indeed  history  does  not  afford  a  parallel  to  the  lavish  demonstrations 
of  affection  that  were  voluntarily  heaped  upon  the  President-elect 
during  this  journey  to  the  seat  of  government. 

Soon  after  passing  through  the  gates  of  Mount  Vernon,  he  was 
met  by  a  civic  cavalcade  and  escorted  to  Alexandria,  where  a  public 
reception  and  dinner  were  given  in  his  honor.  It  was  the  farewell  of 
his  neighbors,  the  loving  good-bye  of  the  men  who  knew  him  best  in 
the  private  walks  of  life,  and  the  address  delivered  by  Dennis  Ramsay, 
mayor  of  the  city,  an  intimate  friend  and  compatriot  of  the  General 
(and  subsequently  one  of  his  pallbearers),  is  worthy  of  the  occasion  and 
serves  well  to  show  how  firm  was  the  friendship  existing  between 
"farmer  Washington"  and  his  rural  associates. 

Colonel  Ramsay's  Address. 

To  George  Washington,  Esq.,  President  of  the  United  States,  drc. 

Again  your  country  commands  your  care.  Obedient  to  its  wishes,  unmindful 
of  your  ease,  we  see  you  once  more  relinquisliing  the  bliss  of  retirement,  and  this, 
too,  at  a  period  of  life  when  nature  itself  seems  to  authorize  a  preference  of  repose. 

Not  to  extol  your  glory  as  a  soldier;  not  to  pour  forth  our  gratitude  for  past 
services;  not  to  acknowledge  the  justice  of  the  unexampled  honour  which  has  been 
conferred  upon  you  by  the  spontaneous  and  unanimous  suffrage  of  three  millions 
of  freemen,  in  your  election  to  the  supreme  magistracy,  nor  to  admire  the  patri- 
otism which  directs  your  conduct,  do  your  neighbors  and  friends  now  address  you. 
Themes  less  splendid  but  more  endearing,  impress  our  minds.  The  first  and  best 
of  citizens  must  leave  us ;  our  aged  must  lose  their  ornament ;  our  youth  their  model ; 
our  agriculture  its  improver;  our  commerce  its  friend;  our  infant  academy  its  pro- 
tector; our  poor  their  benefactor;  and  the  interior  navigation  of  the  Potomac  (an 
event,  replete  with  the  most  extensive  utility,  already  by  your  unremitted  exertions 
brought  into  partial  use),  its  institutor  and  promoter. 

Farewell!  Go,  and  make  a  grateful  people  happy — a  people  who  will  be 
doubly  grateful  when  they  contemplate  this  recent  sacrifice  for  their  interest. 

To  that  Being  Who  maketh  and  unmaketh  at  His  will,  we  commend  you ;  and 
after  the  accomplishment  of  the  arduous  business  to  which  you  are  called,  may  He 
restore  to  us  again  the  best  of  men,  and  the  most  beloved  fellow-citizen. 

To  this  General  Washington  replied  as  follows : 

Although  I  ought  not  to  conceal,  yet  I  cannot  describe  the  painful  emotions 
which  I  felt,  in  being  called  upon  to  determine  whether  I  would  accept  or  refuse 


156  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND  THE   MASON, 

the  Presidency  of  the  United  States.  The  unanimity  in  the  choice;  the  opinion 
of  my  friends  communicated  from  different  parts  of  Europe  as  well  as  from  America; 
the  apparent  wish  of  those  who  were  not  entirely  satisfied  with  the  Constitution  in 
its  present  form,  and  an  ardent  desire  on  my  own  part  to  be  instrumental  in  con- 
necting the  good  will  of  my  countrymen  towards  each  other,  have  induced  an  accep- 
tance. Those  who  knew  me  best  (and  you,  my  fellow-citizens  are,  from  your  situ- 
ation, in  that  number),  know  better  than  any  others,  my  love  of  retirement  is  so 
great,  that  no  earthly  consideration,  short  of  conviction  of  duty,  could  have  pre- 
vailed upon  me  to  depart  from  my  resolution  "never  more  to  take  any  share  in 
transactions  of  a  public  nature;"  for  at  my  age,  and  in  my  circumstances,  what 
prospects  or  advantages  could  I  propose  to  myself  from  embarking  again  on  the 
tempestuous  and  uncertain  ocean  of  public  life? 

I  do  not  feel  myself  under  the  necessity  of  making  public  declarations  in  order 
to  convince  you,  gentlemen,  of  my  attachment  to  yourselves,  and  regard  for  your 
interests.  The  whole  tenor  of  my  life  has  been  open  to  your  inspection,  and  my 
past  actions,  rather  than  my  present  declarations,  must  be  the  pledge  of  my  future 
conduct. 

In  the  meantime,  I  thank  you  most  sincerely  for  the  expressions  of  kindness 
contained  in  your  valedictory  address.  It  is  true,  just  after  having  bade  adieu  to 
my  domestic  connexions,  this  tender  proof  of  your  friendship  is  but  too  well  calcu- 
lated still  further  to  awaken  my  sensibility,  and  increase  my  regret  at  parting  from 
the  enjoyment  of  private  life. 

All  that  now  remains  for  me,  is  to  commit  myself  and  you  to  the  protection  of 
that  beneficent  Being,  who  on  a  former  occasion  hath  happily  brought  us  together 
after  a  long  and  distressing  separation.  Perhaps  the  same  gracious  Providence 
will  again  indulge  me.  Unutterable  sensations  must  then  be  left  to  more  expressive 
silence,  while  from  an  aching  heart  I  bid  all  my  affectionate  friends  and  kind  neigh- 
bors farewell. 

From  Alexandria  the  General  was  escorted  to  the  ferry  opposite 
Georgetown  by  a  large  contingent  of  citizens  and  the  local  militia. 
Passing  over  the  Potomac  into  Maryland  he  was  received  with  demon- 
strations equal  to,  if  not  surpassing  those  accorded  him  in  Alexandria, 
and  conducted  through  the  entire  commonwealth  by  its  leading 
citizens  and  companies  of  mounted  militia. 

On  his  approach  to  Philadelphia,  he  was  met  by  Governor 
Mifflin,  Judge  Peters,  and  a  military  escort  headed  by  General  St. 
Clair,  followed  with  the  usual  cavalcade  of  gentlemen. 

Gray's  bridge  over  the  Schuylkill,  which  he  and  his  escort  had  to 
pass,  was  profusely  decorated  with  laurels  and  evergreens.  At  each 
end  of  the  bridge  were  erected  magnificent  arches,  entwined  with 
laurels,  emblematical  of  the  ancient  Roman  triumphal  arches,  and  on 
each  side  of  the  bridge  was  a  laurel  slirubbery. 

As  the  General  passed  the  bridge,  a  youth,  by  aid  of  a  mechanical 


WASHINGTON  THE   PRESIDENT.  1 57 

contrivance,  let  drop  from  above  his  head,  though  unperceived  by 
him,  a  civic  crown  of  laurel.  Upwards  of  20,000  citizens  lined  the 
fences,  fields  and  avenues  between  the  SchuylkiU  and  Philadelphia. 

If  any  demonstration  could  exceed  the  warmth  of  his  reception 
in  the  Quaker  City,  it  was  at  Trenton,  New  Jersey.  By  direction  of 
the  ladies,  a  triumphal  arch  was  erected  on  the  bridge  leading  to 
that  city.  The  crown  of  the  arch,  ornamented  with  laurels  and 
flowers,  contained  likewise  the  suggestive  inscription  in  large  letters, 
"December  26th,  1776,  Defender  of  the  Mothers  will  also  protect 
their  Daughters."  Ranged  on  the  north  side  was  a  delegation  of 
young  girls,  dressed  in  white,  crowned  with  wreaths  and  carrying 
baskets  of  flowers.  In  the  second  row  stood  the  young  women,  and 
behind  them  the  married  ladies  of  the  vicinity. 

The  instant  Washington  passed  the  arch,  the  children  began  to 
sing  the  following  ode : 

Welcome  mighty  chief,  once  more 
Welcome  to  this  grateful  shore. 
Now  no  mercenary  foe 
Aims  again  the  fatal  blow. 
Virgins  fair  and  matrons  grave. 
These  thy  conquering  arms  did  save. 
Build  for  the  triumphal  bowers; 
Strew,  ye  fair,  his  way  with  flowers; 
Strew  your  hero's  way  with  flowers. 

As  they  sang  their  last  lines,  they  scattered  flowers  in  the  path 
of  their  beloved  hero. 

Contrast  his  situation  on  this  occasion  with  that  of  December, 
1776,  when  the  drooping  spirits  of  the  colonials  had  reached  their 
lowest  ebb  of  depression  as  amid  a  blinding  storm  of  sleet  and  snow, 
he  passed  that  very  spot  to  strike  a  decisive  blow  against  the  English 
invaders,  and  imagine,  if  you  can,  the  emotion  and  sensation  that 
must  have  filled  his  bosom. 

His  approach  and  entry  into  New  York  was  a  perfect  triumph 
and  beggars  description.  The  ringing  of  bells,  the  roar  of  cannon,  the 
shouts  of  the  multitude  banked  on  every  pier  were  the  sounds  of 
welcome  that  greeted  and  followed  him  from  the  time  his  barge 
appeared  upon  the  Hudson  until  it  was  moored  at  Murray's  wharf. 
Here  it  was,  however,  that  the  most  affecting  scene  of  all  took  place 
in  the  meeting  between  the  General  and  a  delegation  of  bearded  and 
weatherbeaten  veterans  of  the  revolution,  who  had  assembled  to  bid 
him  welcome.  From  the  landing  he  was  escorted  by  Governor 
Clinton  and  General  Knox  through  lines  of  soldiers  along  streets 


158  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE)   MASON. 

strewn  with  flowers  and  evergreens  and  decorated  with  flags  and 
bunting  to  the  quarters  arranged  for  his  reception.  This  triumphant 
tof  r  and  reception,  while  naturally  gratifying  to  Washington,  was  in 
one  sense  a  source  of  melancholy  reflections.  He  was  now  the  idol 
of  the  people;  great  things  were  expected  of  him;  would  he  fulfil 
these  expectations  and  Uve  up  to  the  ideals  and  standards  arbitrarily 
estabhshed  in  the  minds  of  the  populace  or  was  he  doomed  to  disap- 
pointment and  failure  in  the  accomplishment  of  the  mighty  task 
allotted? 

In  this  perturbed  state,  he  wrote : 

The  display  of  boats  which  attended  and  joined  us  on  this  occasion,  some  with 
vocal  and  some  with  instrumental  music  on  board,  the  decorations  of  the  ships, 
the  roar  of  the  cannon  and  the  loud  acclamations  of  the  people,  which  rent  the  skies, 
as  I  passed  along  the  wharves,  filled  my  mind  with  sensations  as  painful  (considering 
the  reverse  of  this  scene  which  may  be  the  case  after  all  my  labors  to  do  good)  as 
they  are  pleasing. 

The  inauguration  was  delayed  for  several  days  during  which 
time  Congress  resolved,  after  much  discussion,  that  the  title  of  the 
chief  executive  should  be  "The  President  of  the  United  States." 
Washington,  when  informed  of  their  determination,  was  greatly 
reheved  and  pleased  with  the  simplicity  of  the  official  form  of  address 
agreed  upon. 

Finally,  the  time  set  for  the  inaugural  ceremony  (April  30) 
arrived  and  about  half-past  twelve  o'clock,  all  things  being  in  readi- 
ness, the  procession  moved  from  the  President's  house,  preceded  by 
the  troops  and  a  numerous  escort,  to  Federal  Hall  where  the  Senate 
and  House  of  Representatives  in  joint  session  were  in  waiting  to 
receive  him.  At  the  moment  appointed  to  take  the  oath  of  ofiice 
required  by  the  Constitution,  accompanied  by  the  Vice-President, 
numerous  functionaries  and  a  large  number  of  the  Senate  and  House 
of  Representatives,  Washington  appeared  on  the  balcony  fronting 
Broad  Street.  There,  in  the  presence  of  a  vast  concourse  of  citizens, 
surrounded  by  intimate  friends,  including  several  former  comrades 
in  arms  among  whom  were  Alexander  Hamilton,  Roger  Sherman, 
Generals  Knox  and  St.  Clair,  Baron  Steuben  and  others,  he  took  the 
following  oath,  prescribed  by  law,  which  was  administered  by  the 
Chancellor  of  the  State  of  New  York,  Robert  Livingstone :  "I  do 
solemnly  swear  that  I  will  faithfully  execute  the  ofiice  of  President 
of  the  United  States;  and  will  to  the  best  of  my  ability  preserve, 
protect  and  defend  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States." 


'.S!       g 


WASlllXr.TOX'S   riRSl'  SIPRICMI'    COLKT. 


WASHINGTON   THE   PRESIDENT.  1^9 

When  Mr.  Livingstone  had  finished  reading  the  oath,  Washington 
repHed  solemnly:  "I  swear,  so  help  nic  God,"  and  bowing  low,  he 
reverently  kissed  the  Bible  presented  by  Air.  Otis. 

The  Chancellor  now  stepped  forward  and  exclaimed,  "  Long  live 
George  Washington,  President  of  the  Ihiited  States."  The  flag  was 
unfurled  from  the  cupola  of  the  hall,  the  national  salute  of  thirteen 
gims  was  fired,  the  bells  of  the  city  rang  out  with  j(.>yful  peals,  and 
thousands  of  voices  rent  the  air  and  resounded  again  and  again  with 
their  acclamations. 

"  During  the  ceremony  of  administering  the  oath  an  awful  silence 
prevailed  among  the  spectators.  It  was  a  niimite  of  the  nu)st  sublime 
political  joy."  Returning  to  the  Senate  Chamber,  President  Wash- 
ington delivered  his  inaugural  address  to  Congress,  after  which  he 
proceeded  with  the  whole  assemblage  to  St.  Paul's  Church,  where 
prayers  suited  to  the  occasion  were  read  by  Dr.  Prevoost,  Risliop  of  the 
Protestant  Kpiscopal  Church  of  New  York,  who  had  been  appoinlcd, 
by  the  Senate,  one  of  the  chaplains  of  Congress. 

So  closed  the  ceremonies  of  the  inauguration.  Arrangements 
having  been  made  for  their  acconunodation,  Mrs.  Washington,  accom- 
panied by  her  grandchildren,  Kleanor  and  Cieorge  Washington  Parke 
Custis,  and  a  small  escort,  left  Mount  Venion  for  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment on  the  17th  of  May,  traveling  by  very  nearly  the  same  route 
her  husband  had  taken  a  few  weeks  before.  Throughout  the  jouniey 
she,  too,  was  greeted  with  public  testimonials  of  affection  and  respect 
similar  to  those  accorded  the  President.  At  I{lizabcthtown  she 
stopped  at  the  residence  of  Governor  Livingstone,  whither  her  husband 
had  come  from  New  York  to  meet  her,  and  from  there  they  proceeded 
by  water  to  the  capital. 

Congress  having  organized  the  several  govermuental  depart- 
ments, Washington,  after  careful  consideration  of  the  whole  subject, 
with  a  view  to  selecting  men  qualified  for  the  several  situations, 
appointed  at  the  head  of  the  Department  of  vState  or  Foreign  Afl^airs, 
Thomas  Jefferson  of  Virginia;  Alexander  Ilamiltoti  of  New  York, 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury;  Henry  Knox  of  Massachusetts,  Secretary 
of  War;  and  Edmund  Randolph  of  Virginia,  Attorney-General. 
These  composed  the  cabinet  council  of  the  first  President. 

The  Judicial  Department  he  filled  as  follows:  John  Jay  of  New 
York,  Chief  Justice,  with  Jolm  Rutledge  of  South  Carolina,  James 
Wilson  of  Pennsylvania,  William  Cushing  of  Massachusetts,  James 
Iredell  of  North  Carolina,  and  John  Blair  of  Virginia,  as  Associate 
Jr.dges. 


l6o  WASHINGTON  THE   MAN  AND  THE   MASON. 

In  the  selection  of  his  official  family,  the  President  had  not  been 
governed  by  personal  friendship.  He  had  chosen  Jefferson,  an  ultra 
repubUcan,  for  the  important  post  of  Secretary  of  State;  Hamilton, 
with  strong  predilections  for  a  centraUzed  government,  high  strung 
and  somewhat  vindictive  but  with  special  quahfications  for  the  posi- 
tion, he  had  placed  at  the  head  of  the  Department  of  Finance ;  Henry 
Knox,  a  seasoned  veteran  of  the  revolution  and  Secretary  of  War  of 
the  late  confederation,  he  installed  in  the  same  capacity  under  the 
new  government;  and  Edmund  Randolph,  an  ex-governor  and  ex- 
attomey-general  of  Virginia,  a  man  of  wide  experience  and  practical 
legal  training,  he  made  Attorney-General. 

Important  issues  arose  soon  after  the  organization  of  the  govern- 
ment, that,  notwithstanding  the  great  care  exercised  by  the  President 
in  the  iormation  of  his  cabinet,  produced  violent  discord  in  both  the 
President's  privy  council  and  the  national  legislative  body.  Hamilton 
and  Jefferson,  widely  separated  in  their  views  on  questions  of  pubUc 
policy,  were  equally  determined  in  asserting  and  maintaining  their 
convictions.  At  the  request  of  Congress,  Hamilton  proposed  a  plan 
for  funding  the  debts  contracted  during  the  revolution  and  for  the 
estabUshment  of  a  general  financial  system.  This  plan,  when  sub- 
mitted, met  with  determined  opposition  and  completely  divided  the 
national  assembly. 

The  question  of  a  permanent  seat  for  the  federal  government  also 
aroused  vindictive  debates  and  several  times  brought  Congress  to 
the  very  verge  of  dissolution.  To  pacify  these  warring  elements  and 
smooth  the  way  for  the  successful  administration  of  the  government's 
affairs  was  not  an  easy  task  and  probably  could  not  have  been  accom- 
plished by  a  less  resourceful  man  than  the  President.  Through  his 
calm  leadership,  salutary  advice  and  consummate  diplomacy,  most  of 
the  vexed  issues  were  adjusted  to  the  satisfaction  of  at  least  a  majority 
of  those  directly  concerned. 

As  a  compromise,  it  was  agreed  that  Congress  should  hold  its 
sessions  in  Philadelphia  for  ten  years,  beginning  with  the  session  of 
the  second  Congress,  during  which  time  pubhc  buildings  could  be 
erected  at  some  place  on  the  Potomac  River.  A  territory  ten  miles 
square  was  selected  for  the  purpose  on  the  confines  of  Mar>'land  and 
Virginia,  ceded  by  those  states  to  the  United  States,  and  subsequently 
designated  as  the  District  of  Columbia. 

It  was  also  agreed,  as  a  solution  of  the  mooted  fiscal  problem,  to 
test  Hamilton's  financial  plan,  which,  as  he  predicted,  soon  proved 


WASHINGTON'S  FIRST   CABINET. 


WASHINGTON   THE   PRESIDENT.  l6l 

efficacious.  An  immense  floating  debt  was  funded  in  a  manner  per- 
fectly satisfactory  to  the  creditors  and  an  ample  revenue  provided  for 
the  necessities  of  the  government. 

Jefferson,  in  commenting  on  the  discord  that  characterized 
Congress,  observes  that  "in  the  latter  part  of  the  session,  they  had 
reacquired  the  harmony  that  always  distinguished  their  proceedings 
before  the  introduction  of  the  two  disagreeable  subjects  of  the  Assump- 
tion and  Residence.  These,"  said  he,  "  really  threatened  at  one  time  a 
separation  of  the  legislature  sine  die." 

As  we  look  back  upon  these  times  and  consider  the  importance  of 
the  stupendous  subject  under  discussion  and  try  to  grasp  the  mag- 
nitude of  their  labors,  Hamilton  with  his  financial  problems,  solving 
the  question  of  public  credit,  and  Jefferson  with  his  foreign  relations 
and  internal  difficulties,  with  Washington  over  them  all,  building  a 
nation  from  a  tissue  of  straw,  we  cannot  wonder  at  the  divergency  of 
opinion  or  the  asperity  of  the  contentions.  That  he  pacified  the 
contending  factions  at  home;  relieved  sectional  rancor;  avoided  for- 
eign complications;  established  a  stable  system  of  finance  and  left 
his  successor  a  prosperous  government,  firmly  intrenched  in  the  affec- 
tions of  the  people,  at  peace  with  the  world,  is  the  ablest  and  most 
eloquent  testimonial  of  his  ability  as  a  statesman. 

During  the  fall  of  1789,  Washington  paid  an  extended  visit  to 
the  New  England  states.  Leaving  New  York  on  October  15,  he 
retm-ned  on  the  13th  of  November,  much  pleased  with  conditions  in 
that  section. 

The  first  session  of  Congress,  one  of  the  most  exciting,  if  not 
important  in  the  history  of  the  country,  was  then  drawing  to  a  close. 
In  a  short  while  New  York  would  cease  to  be  the  capital.  After 
returning  thanks  to  the  city  for  the  elegant  and  convenient  accommo- 
dations furnished,  the  national  legislative  body  adjourned  on  the  12th 
of  August,  1 790,  to  meet  again  in  December  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia. 
The  President  tarried  in  New  York  but  a  short  while  after  the 
adjournment  of  Congress,  and  the  public  demonstrations  at  his  depart- 
ure were  nearly  equal  to  the  reception  given  him  on  his  arrival  there, 
a  little  over  a  year  before,  with  one  noticeable  difference — on  the  latter 
occasion  the  populace  seemed  hysterical  in  its  transports  of  joy, 
while  on  that  of  his  departine  a  spirit  of  sadness  pervaded  the 
assemblages. 

Arriving  in  Philadelphia  on  September  2,  1790,  he  halted  only 
for  a  few  days  to  make  arrangements  for  a  future  residence,  then 


1 62  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

continued  his  journey  to  Mount  Vernon.  Returning  to  Philadelphia 
late  in  the  fall,  in  March  of  the  follo^ving  spring  he  started  on  a 
tour  of  the  southern  states.  Halting  for  a  brief  rest  at  his  home  on 
the  Potomac,  he  proceeded,  by  way  of  Fredericksburg,  Richmond, 
Petersbiu"g,  Halifax,  Newbum  and  Wilmington,  to  Charleston,  where 
he  arrived  on  May  2,  and  on  the  9th  he  continued  to  Savannah,  thence 
to  Augusta.  Returning,  he  visited  the  tomb  of  DeKalb,  several  of 
the  southern  battlefields,  and  other  places  of  interest,  passing  through 
Charlotte,  Salisbury,  Salem,  Guilford  and  other  towns.  He  reached 
Moimt  Vernon  on  the  12th  of  June,  and  on  the  30th  of  that  month 
set  out,  by  way  of  Frederick,  York  and  Lancaster  to  the  new  seat  of 
government,  finishing  his  itinerary  on  the  6th  of  July.  Having  pre- 
viously visited  New  England  and  the  middle  states,  this  tour  of  the 
south  concluded  the  circuit  of  the  whole  country. 

Washington  was  delighted  with  his  visits  in  New  England  and 
the  south.  Everywhere  he  had  been  received  vidth  almost  frantic 
demonstrations  of  joy.  But  pleasing  as  were  these  proofs  of  affection, 
it  was  really  the  abundant  evidence  of  prosperity  and  contentment 
of  the  people  under  the  new  form  of  government  which  supplied  the 
main  source  of  his  pleasure.  In  the  southern  tour,  he  had  traveled 
about  eighteen  hundred  miles  without  serious  interruption  or  accident 
and  returned  immeasurably  gratified  at  the  result  of  his  investigations. 

The  establishment  of  public  credit  and  the  speedy  subjugation 
of  the  spirit  of  insurrection  to  the  will  of  the  law  were  having  benef- 
icent efi'ects,  and  the  President  was  convinced,  from  personal  observ^a- 
tions,  that  a  firm,  just  and  intelligent  administration  of  the  law 
under  the  present  constitution  would  supply  a  stable  form  of  govern- 
ment sufficient  for  the  protection  and  happiness  of  the  people,  an 
incomparable  improvement,  he  declared,  over  the  old  confederated 
system. 

In  his  next  message  to  Congress  he  dilated  upon  this  subject. 
He  drew  a  vivid  comparison  between  the  chaotic  conditions  of  a  few 
years  before  with  those  of  that  day  and  emphasized  the  necessity  of 
cultivating  amicable  relations  between  the  states.  He  believed  that 
the  ground  work  for  future  national  greatness  and  prosperity  depended 
largely  upon  internal  peace,  the  eradication  of  sectional  animosities 
and  the  development  of  the  material  wealth  of  the  country,  and  not 
for  one  moment  during  the  succeeding  years  of  his  administrations 
did  he  digress  or  depart  from  this  policy.  It  was  the  rule  and  guide 
of  his  political  faith  and  he  clung  to  it  with  the  tenacity  of  an  inflexible 
will  to  the  end. 


WASHINGTON   THE    PRESIDENT.  1 63 

As  it  is  not  our  purpose  to  attempt  a  consecutive  narrative  of 
th?  political  events  of  the  eight  years  of  Washington's  administration, 
we  will  add  a  few  concluding  notes  on  the  subject  and  pass  on  to  his 
last  years  at  Mount  Vernon. 

Having  determined  to  retire  from  office  at  the  expiration  of  his 
second  term,  March  4,  1797,  Washington  published  his  farewell 
address  on  the  17th  of  September,  1796.  His  resolution  to  retire  no 
doubt  gave  satisfaction  to  a  few  ambitious  political  leaders,  but  it 
undoubtedly  produced  solemn  and  anxious  reflection  amongst  the 
great  masses,  even  of  those  who  belonged  to  the  opposite  political 
party,  if  we  can  consider  him  a  partisan  in  any  sense. 

The  address  acted  as  a  notice  to  hush  the  acrimonious  abuse  of 
him  which  the  opposition  was  pouring  forth  under  the  idea  that  he 
would  be  a  candidate  for  a  renomination  and  it  served,  as  Fisher  Ames 
said  it  would,  "as  a  signal,  like  the  dropping  of  a  hat,  for  the  party 
racers  to  start." 

Congress  assembled  on  the  5th  day  of  December  following  the 
publication  of  the  address,  and  on  the  7th  Washington  met  the  two 
houses  in  joint  session  for  the  last  time.  In  his  speech  he  recom- 
mended an  institution  for  the  improvement  of  agriculture,  a  military 
academy,  a  naval  university,  and  a  gradual  increase  of  the  navy.  In 
concluding  his  speech  he  observ-es : 

The  situation  in  which  I  now  stand  for  the  last  time  in  the  midst  of  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  people  of  the  United  States,  naturally  recalls  the  period  when  the 
administration  of  the  present  form  of  government  commenced,  and  I  cannot  omit 
the  occasion  to  congratulate  you  and  my  country  on  the  success  of  the  experiment, 
nor  t-o  repeat  my  fervent  supplications  to  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  universe  and 
Sovereign  Arbiter  of  nations,  that  His  providential  care  may  be  still  extended  to  the 
United  States;  that  the  virtue  and  happiness  of  the  people  may  be  preserved,  and 
that  the  government  which  they  have  instituted  for  the  protection  of  their  liberties, 
may  be  perpetual. 

Both  houses  passed  resolutions  commendatory  of  his  public 
service,  expressing  deep  regret  at  the  loss  of  so  valuable  a  leader. 
The  resolution  of  Congress  concluded  with  the  hope  for  his  future 
happiness — 

May  you  long  enjoy  that  liberty  which  is  so  dear  to  you,  and  to  which  your 
name  will  ever  be  so  dear.  May  your  own  \artue  and  a  nation's  prayer  obtain  the 
happiest  sunshine  for  the  decline  of  your  days,  and  the  choicest  of  future  blessings. 
For  our  country's  sake,  and  for  the  sake  of  republican  liberty,  it  is  our  earnest  wish 
that  your  example  may  be  the  guide  of  your  successors;  and  thus,  after  being  the 
ornament  and  safeguard  of  the  present  age,  become  the  patrimony  of  our  descendants. 


164  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

There  were  now  two  clearly  defined  political  parties,  and  John 
Adams  and  Thomas  Pinckney  were  the  candidates  on  the  federalist 
ticket  for  president  and  vice-president  respectively,  while  Thos. 
Jefferson  led  the  forces  of  the  opposition.  On  the  8th  of  February, 
1797,  votes  for  president  and  vice-president  were  opened  and  counted 
in  the  presence  of  both  houses,  and  Mr.  Adams,  the  Vice-President, 
announced  his  own  election  for  President,  having  received  seventy- 
two  votes  as  against  Mr.  Jeflferson's  sixty-eight,  Thomas  Pinckney, 
fifty-nine,  and  Aaron  Burr,  thirty.  The  rest  of  the  votes  were  scat- 
tered among  Samuel  Adams,  Oliver  Ellsworth,  John  Jay,  and  others. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  all  thought  of  the  incoming  president, 
Mr.  Adams,  was  lost  in  the  overwhelming  desire  to  do  honor  to  the 
outgoing  executive.  Wherever  he  appeared  crowds  assembled,  and 
he  received  on  every  hand  the  most  profound  testimonials  of  confi- 
dence and  esteem. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  an  immense  crowd  had  gathered  about  Congress  Hall. 
At  eleven  o'clock,  Mr.  Jefiferson  took  the  oath  as  Vice-President  in  the  presence  of 
the  Senate ;  and  proceeded  with  that  body  to  the  chamber  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, which  was  densely  crowded,  many  ladies  occupying  chairs  ceded  to  them 
by  members.  Washington  entered  amidst  enthusiastic  cheers  and  acclamations, 
and  the  waving  of  handkerchiefs.  Mr.  Adams  soon  followed  and  was  likewise  well 
received.  Having  taken  the  oath  required  by  law,  Mr.  Adams,  in  his  inaugural 
address,  spoke  of  his  predecessor  as  one  "who,  by  a  long  course  of  great  actions 
regulated  by  prudence,  justice,  temperance  and  fortitude,  had  merited  the  gratitude 
of  his  fellow  citizens,  commanded  the  highest  praises  of  foreign  nations,  and  secured 
immortal  glory  with  posterity." 

Washington  was  a  private  citizen  again.  For  the  second  time 
and  with  characteristic  simplicity,  without  a  semblance  of  pomp  or 
theatrical  display,  this  stately  figure  had  voluntarily  passed  from 
exalted  station  to  the  humble  and  sequestered  walks  of  private  life. 

John  Marshall,  in  summarizing  Washington's  administrations, 
declares  that — 

Notwithstanding  the  extraordinary  popularity  of  the  first  president  of  the 
United  States,  scarcely  has  any  important  act  of  his  administration  escaped  the 
most  bitter  invective.  On  the  real  wisdom  of  the  system  which  he  pursued,  every 
reader  will  decide  for  himself.  Time  will,  in  some  measure,  dissipate  the  prejudices 
and  passions  of  the  moment,  and  enable  us  to  view  objects  through  a  medium  which 
represents  them  truly.  Without  taking  a  full  review  of  measures  which  were  repro- 
bated by  one  party  and  applauded  by  the  other,  the  reader  may  be  requested  to 
glance  his  eye  at  the  situation  of  the  United  States  in  1797,  and  to  contrast  it  with 
their  condition  in  1788.     At  home  a  sound  credit  had  been  created;  an  immense 


WASHINGTON   THE   PRESIDENT.  1 65 

floating  debt  had  been  founded  in  a  manner  perfectly  satisfactory  to  the  creditors; 
an  ample  revenue  had  been  provided;  those  difficulties  which  a  system  of  internal 
taxation,  on  its  first  introduction,  is  doomed  to  encounter,  were  completely  removed; 
and  the  authority  of  the  government  was  firmly  established.  Funds  for  the  gradual 
payment  of  the  debt  had  been  provided ;  a  considerable  part  of  it  had  been  actually 
discharged;  and  that  system  which  is  now  operating  its  entire  extinction  had  been 
matured  and  adopted.  The  agricultural  and  commercial  wealth  of  the  nation  had 
increased  beyond  all  former  example.  The  numerous  tribes  of  warlike  Indians, 
inhabitating  those  immense  tracts  which  lie  between  the  then  cultivated  country 
and  the  Mississippi,  had  been  taught,  by  arms  and  by  justice,  to  respect  the  United 
States,  and  to  continue  in  peace.  This  desirable  object  having  been  accomplished, 
that  humane  system  was  established  for  civilizing  and  furnishing  them  with  the 
conveniences  of  life,  which  improves  their  condition,  while  it  secm-es  their  attachment. 
Abroad,  the  difference  with  Spain  had  been  accommodated;  and  the  free 
navigation  of  the  Mississippi  had  been  acquired,  with  the  use  of  New  Orleans  as  a 
place  of  deposit  for  three  years,  and  afterwards,  until  some  other  equivalent  place 
should  be  designated.  Those  causes  of  mutual  exasperation  which  had  threatened 
to  involve  the  United  States  in  a  war  with  the  greatest  maritime  and  commercial 
power  in  the  world,  had  been  removed;  and  the  military  posts  which  had  been 
occupied  within  their  territory,  from  their  existence  as  a  nation,  had  been  evacuated. 
Treaties  had  been  formed  with  Algiers  and  with  Tripoli  so  that  the  Mediterranean 
was  opened  to  American  vessels.      .      .      ,  " 

General  Washington,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Washington,  Miss 
Custis,  George  Washington  Lafayette  and  Mr.  Frestell,  young 
Lafayette's  tutor  (the  last  tvi^o  having  arrived  in  Philadelphia  a  short 
while  before) ,  set  out  from  the  seat  of  government  for  Mount  Vernon 
on  March  9,  five  days  after  the  inauguration  of  Mr.  Adams. 

The  courtesies  extended  to  him  on  his  return  journey  were  similar 
to  those  he  had  received  eight  years  before,  when  en  route  for  New 
York  to  be  sworn  in  as  first  president.  Although  a  private  citizen, 
he  was  honored  by  special  escorts  throughout  the  entire  length  of 
his  journey.  In  Baltimore  the  city  was  decorated,  cannon  thundered, 
military  paraded,  and  bands  of  music  enlivened  the  scene. 

WASHINGTON'S  LEGACY  OR  FAREWELL  ADDRESS  TO  THE 
PEOPLE  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

Friends  and  Fellow  Citizens: 

The  period  for  a  new  election  of  a  citizen  to  administer  the  Executive  Govern- 
ment of  the  United  States  being  not  far  distant,  and  the  time  actually  arrived  when 
your  thoughts  must  be  employed  in  designating  the  person  who  is  to  be  clothed 
with  that  important  trust,  it  appears  to  me  proper,  especially  as  it  may  conduce  to  a 
more  distinct  expression  of  the  public  voice,  that  I  should  now  apprise  you  of  the 


1 66  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN  AND   THE   MASON. 

resolution  I  have  formed,  to  decline  being  considered  among  tlie  nmnber  of  those 
out  of  whom  a  choice  is  to  be  made. 

I  beg  you  at  the  same  time,  to  do  me  the  justice  to  be  assured,  that  this  reso- 
lution has  not  been  taken  without  a  strict  regard  to  all  the  considerations  apper- 
taining to  the  relation  which  binds  a  dutiful  citizen  to  his  country;  and  that,  in 
withdrawing  the  tender  of  service,  which  silence,  in  my  situation,  might  imply,  I 
am  influenced  by  no  diminution  of  zeal  for  your  future  interests;  no  deficiency  of 
grateful  respect  for  your  past  kindness ;  but  am  supported  by  a  full  conviction  that 
the  step  is  compatible  with  both. 

The  acceptance  of,  and  continuance  hitherto  in  the  office  to  which  your  suff- 
rages have  twice  called  me,  have  been  a  uniform  sacrifice  of  inclination  to  the  opinion 
of  duty,  and  to  a  deference  for  what  appeared  to  be  yoiu:  desire.  I  constantly 
hoped  that  it  would  have  been  much  earlier  in  my  power,  consistently  with  motives 
which  I  was  not  at  liberty  to  disregard,  to  return  to  that  retirement  from  which  I 
had  been  reluctantly  drawn.  The  strength  of  my  inclination  to  do  this,  previous 
to  the  last  election,  had  even  led  to  the  preparation  of  an  address  to  declare  it  to  you; 
but  mature  consideration  on  the  then  perplexed  and  critical  posture  of  our  affairs 
with  foreign  nations,  and  the  unanimous  advice  of  persons  entitled  to  my  confidence, 
impelled  me  to  abandon  the  idea. 

I  rejoice  that  the  state  of  your  concerns,  external  as  well  as  internal,  no  longer 
readers  the  pursuit  of  inclination  incompatible  with  the  sentiment  of  duty  or  pro- 
priety; and  am  persuaded,  whatever  partiality  may  be  retained  for  my  services, 
that  in  the  present  circumstances  of  our  country,  you  will  not  disapprove  my 
determination  to  retire. 

The  impressions  with  which  I  first  undertook  the  arduous  trust  were  explained 
on  the  proper  occasion.  In  the  discharge  of  this  trust,  I  will  only  say,  that  I  have 
with  good  intentions  contributed  towards  the  organization  and  administration  of 
the  Government,  the  best  exertions  of  which  a  very  fallible  judgment  was  capable. 
Not  unconscious,  in  the  outset,  of  the  inferiority  of  my  qualifications,  experience  in 
my  own  eyes,  perhaps  still  more  in  the  eyes  of  others,  has  strengthened  the  motives 
to  diffidence  of  myself;  and  every  day  the  increasing  weight  of  years  admonishes 
me  more  and  more,  that  the  shade  of  retirement  is  as  necessary  to  me  as  it  will  be 
welcome.  Satisfied  that  if  any  circumstances  have  given  peculiar  value  to  my  ser- 
vices, they  were  temporary,  I  have  the  consolation  to  believe,  that  while  choice  and 
prudence  invite  me  to  quit  the  political  scene,  patriotism  does  not  forbid  it. 

In  looking  forward  to  the  moment  which  is  to  terminate  the  career  of  my 
pubUc  life,  my  feelings  do  not  permit  me  to  suspend  the  deep  acknowledgment  of 
that  debt  of  gratitude  which  I  owe  to  my  beloved  country,  for  the  many  honors 
it  has  conferred  upon  me,  and  for  the  opportunities  I  have  thence  enjoyed  of  mani- 
festing my  inviolable  attachment,  by  services  faithful  and  persevering,  though  in 
usefulness  unequal  to  my  zeal.  If  benefits  have  resulted  to  our  country  from  these 
services,  let  it  always  be  remembered,  to  your  praise,  and  as  an  instructive  example 
in  our  annals,  that  imder  circumstances  in  which  the  passions,  agitated  in  every 
direction,  were  liable  to  mislead,  amidst  appearances  sometimes  dubious — -vicissi- 
tudes of  fortune,  often  discouraging — in  situations,  in  which,  not  unfrequently,  want 
of  success  has  countenanced  the  spirit  of  criticism — the  constancy  of  your  support 


WASHINGTON   THE   PRESIDENT.  1 67 

was  the  essential  prop  of  the  efforts,  and  a  guarantee  of  the  plans  by  which  they 
were  eflfected.  Profoundly  penetrated  by  this  idea,  I  shall  carry  it  with  me  to  my 
grave,  as  a  strong  incitement  to  unceasing  vows  that  Heaven  may  continue  to  you 
the  choicest  tokens  of  its  beneficence — that  your  union  and  brotherly  affection  may 
be  perpetual — that  the  free  constitution,  which  is  the  work  of  your  hands,  may  be 
sacredly  maintained — that  its  administration,  in  every  department,  may  be 
stamped  with  wisdom  and  virtue — that,  in  fine,  the  happiness  of  the  people  of  these 
states,  under  the  auspices  of  liberty,  may  be  made  complete,  by  so  careful  a  pres- 
ervation, and  so  prudent  a  use  of  this  blessing,  as  to  acquire  to  them  the  glory  of 
recommending  it  to  the  applause,  the  affection,  and  the  adoption  of  every  Nation 
which  is  yet  a  stranger  to  it. 

Here,  perhaps,  I  ought  to  stop.  But  a  soUcitude  for  your  welfare,  which 
cannot  end  but  with  my  life,  and  the  apprehension  of  danger,  natural  to  that  sohc- 
itude,  urge  me,  on  an  occasion  like  the  present,  to  offer  to  your  solemn  contempla- 
tion, and  to  recommend  to  your  frequent  review,  some  sentiments  which  are  the 
result  of  much  reflection,  of  no  inconsiderable  observation,  and  which  appear  to 
me  all-important  to  the  permanency  of  your  felicity  as  a  People.  These  will  be 
offered  to  you  with  the  more  freedom,  as  you  can  only  see  in  them  the  disinterested 
warnings  of  a  parting  friend,  who  can  possibly  have  no  personal  motive  to  bias  his 
counsel.  Nor  can  I  forget,  as  an  encouragement  to  it,  your  indulgent  reception  of 
my  sentiments  on  a  former  and  not  dissimilar  occasion. 

Interwoven  as  is  the  love  of  liberty  with  every  hgament  of  yoiu-  hearts,  no  rec- 
ommendation of  mine  is  necessary  to  fortify  or  confirm  the  attachment.  The 
unity  of  Government,  which  constitutes  you  one  People,  is  also  dear  to  you.  It  is 
justly  so,  for  it  is  a  main  pillar  in  the  edifice  of  your  real  independence ;  the  support 
of  your  tranquillity  at  home ;  your  peace  abroad ;  of  your  safety ;  of  your  prosperity ; 
of  that  very  liberty  which  you  so  highly  prize.  But,  as  it  is  easy  to  foresee,  that  from 
different  causes,  and  from  different  quarters,  much  pains  will  be  taken,  many  artifices 
employed,  to  weaken  the  conviction  of  this  truth ;  as  this  is  the  point  in  your  polit- 
ical fortress  against  which  the  batteries  of  internal  ;and  external  enemies  will  be 
most  constantly  and  actively  (though  often  covertly  and  insiduously)  directed;  it 
is  of  infinite  moment  that  you  should  properly  estimate  the  immense  value  of  your 
National  Union,  to  your  collective  and  individual  happiness;  that  you  should 
cherish  a  cordial,  habitual,  and  immovable  attachment  to  it;  accustoming  your- 
selves to  think  and  speak  of  it,  as  the  palladium  of  your  political  safety  and  pros- 
perity; watching  for  its  preservation  with  jealous  anxiety;  discountenancing  what- 
ever may  suggest  even  a  suspicion  that  it  can,  in  any  ,event,  ,be  abandoned ;  and 
indignantly  frowning  upon  the  first  dawning  of  every  attempt  to  alienate  any 
portion  of  our  country  from  the  rest,  or  to  enfeeble  the  sacred  ties  which  now  hnk 
together  the  various  parts. 

For  this  you  have  every  inducement  of  sympathy  and  interest.  Citizens  by 
birth  or  choice  of  a  common  country',  that  country  has  a  right  to  concentrate  your 
affections.  The  name  of  American,  which  belongs  to  you,  in  your  national  capacity, 
must  always  exalt  the  just  pride  of  patriotism,  more  than  any  appellation  derived 
from  local  discriminations.  With  sUght  shades  of  difference,  you  have  the  same 
religion,  manners,  habits,  and  pohtical  principles.      You  have,  in  a  common  cause. 


1 68  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN  AND  THE   MASON. 

fought  and  triumphed  together;  the  independence  and  Uberty  you  possess  are  the 
work  of  joint  counsels,  and  joint  efforts,  of  common  dangers,  sufferings,  and  successes. 

But  these  considerations,  however  powerfully  they  address  themselves  to  your 
sensibility,  are  greatly  outweighed  by  those  which  apply  more  immediately  to  your 
interest;  here  every  portion  of  our  country  finds  the  most  commanding  motives 
for  carefully  guarding  and  preserving  the  union  of  the  whole : 

The  North,  in  an  unrestrained  intercourse  with  the  South,  protected  by  the 
equal  laws  of  a  common  Government,  finds  in  the  productions  of  the  latter,  great 
additional  resources  of  maritime  and  commercial  enterprise,  and  precious  materials 
of  manufacturing  industry.  The  South  in  the  same  intercourse,  benefiting  by  the 
agency  of  the  North,  sees  its  agricultvu"e  grow,  and  its  commerce  expand.  Turning 
partly  into  its  own  channels,  the  seamen  of  the  North,  it  finds  its  particular  naviga- 
tion invigorated ;  and,  while  it  contributes,  in  different  ways  to  nourish  and  increase 
the  general  mass  of  the  national  navigation,  it  looks  forward  to  the  protection  of  a 
maritime  strength,  to  which  itself  is  unequally  adapted.  The  East,  in  a  like  inter- 
course with  the  West,  already  finds,  and  in  the  progressive  improvement  of  interior 
communication,  by  land  and  water,  will  more  and  more  find,  a  valuable  vent  for  the 
commodities  which  it  brings  from  abroad,  or  manufactures  at  home.  The  West 
derives  from  the  East  supplies  requisite  to  its  gro\vi;h  and  comfort ;  and  what  is, 
perhaps,  of  still  greater  consequence,  it  must,  of  necessity,  owe  the  secure  enjoyment 
of  indispensable  outlets,  for  its  own  productions,  to  the  weight,  influence,  and  the 
future  maritime  strength  of  the  Atlantic  side  of  the  Union,  directed  by  an  indissol- 
uble commimity  of  interest  as  one  Nation.  Any  other  teniu-e  by  which  the  West 
can  hold  this  essential  advantage,  whether  derived  from  its  own  separate  strength, 
or  from  an  apostate  and  unnatural  connection  with  any  foreign  Power,  must  be 
intrinsically  precarious. 

While,  then,  every  part  of  oiu"  country  thus  feels  an  immediate  and  particular 
interest  in  the  Union,  all  the  parties  combined  cannot  fail  to  find,  in  the  united  mass 
of  means  and  efforts,  greater  strength,  greater  resource,  proportionately  greater 
security  from  external  danger,  a  less  frequent  interruption  of  their  peace  by  foreign 
nations ;  and  what  is  of  inestimable  value,  they  must  derive  from  union,  an  exemp- 
tion from  those  broils  and  wars  between  themselves,  which  so  frequently  affict 
neighboring  countries,  not  tied  together  by  the  same  Government ;  which  their  own 
rivalships  alone  would  be  sufiicient  to  produce,  but  which  opposite  foreign  alliances, 
attachments,  and  intrigues,  would  stimulate  and  embitter.  Hence,  likewise,  they 
will  avoid  the  necessity  of  those  overgrown  mihtarj'  estabhshments,  which,  under 
any  form  of  Government,  are  inauspicious  to  hberty,  and  which  are  to  be  regarded 
as  particularly  hostile  to  Republican  Liberty;  in  this  sense,  it  is,  that  your  union 
ought  to  be  considered  as  a  main  prop  of  your  Uberty,  and  that  the  love  of  the  one 
ought  to  endear  to  you  the  preservation  of  the  other. 

These  considerations  speak  a  persuasive  language  to  every  reflecting  and  \Hrtu- 
ous  mind,  and  exhibit  the  continuance  of  the  Union  as  a  primary  object  of  patriotic 
desire.  Is  there  a  doubt,  whether  a  common  government  can  embrace  so  large  a 
sphere?  Let  experience  solve  it.  To  hsten  to  mere  speculation,  in  such  a  case, 
were  criminal.  We  are  authorized  to  hope,  that  a  proper  organization  of  the  whole, 
with  the  auxiUary  agency  of  governments  for  the  respective  subdivisions,  will  afford 


WASHINGTON   THE   PRESIDENT.  1 69 

a  happy  issue  to  the  experiment.  It  is  well  worth  a  fair  and  full  experiment. 
With  such  powerful  and  obvious  motives  to  union,  affecting  all  parts  of  our  country, 
while  experience  shall  not  have  demonstrated  its  impracticability,  there  will  always 
be  reason  to  distrust  the  patriotism  of  those,  who,  in  any  quarter,  may  endeavor 
to  weaken  its  bands. 

In  contemplating  the  causes  which  may  disturb  our  Union,  it  occurs,  as  matter 
of  serious  concern,  that  any  ground  should  have  been  furnished  for  characteriz- 
ing parties  by  geographical  discriminations — Northern  and  Southern — Atlantic  and 
Western ;  whence  designing  men  may  endeavor  to  excite  a  belief  that  there  is  a  real 
difference  of  local  interests  and  views.  One  of  the  expedients  of  party  to  acquire 
influence  within  particular  districts,  is  to  misrepresent  the  opinions  and  aims  of 
other  districts.  You  cannot  shield  yourselves  too  much  against  the  jealousies  and 
heart-burnings  which  spring  from  these  misrepresentations;  they  tend  to  render 
alien  to  each  other  those  who  ought  to  be  bound  together  by  fraternal  affection. 
The  inhabitants  of  our  western  country  have  lately  had  a  useful  lesson  on  this 
head;  they  have  seen  in  the  negotiation  by  the  Executive,  and  in  the  unanimous 
ratification  by  the  Senate,  of  the  Treaty  with  Spain,  and  in  the  universal  satisfaction 
at  that  event,  throughout  the  United  States,  a  decisive  proof  how  unfounded  were 
the  suspicions  propagated  among  them,  of  a  policy  in  the  General  Government, 
and  in  the  Atlantic  States,  unfriendly  to  their  interests  in  regard  to  the  Mississippi ; 
they  have  been  witnesses  to  the  formation  of  two  Treaties,  that  with  Great  Britain, 
and  that  with  Spain ;  which  secure  to  them  everything  they  could  desire,  in  respect 
to  our  foreign  relations,  towards  confirming  their  prosperity.  Will  it  not  be  their 
wisdom  to  rely  for  the  preservation  of  these  advantages,  on  the  Union  by  which 
they  were  procured?  Will  they  not,  henceforth,  be  deaf  to  those  advisers,  if  such 
there  are,  who  would  sever  them  from  their  brethren,  and  connect  them  with  aliens? 

To  the  efficacy  and  permanency  of  your  union,  a  Government  for  the  whole  is 
indispensable.  No  alliances,  however  strict,  between  the  parts,  can  be  an  adequate 
substitute ;  they  must,  inevitably,  experience  the  infractions  and  interruptions  which 
all  alliances  in  all  times  have  experienced.  Sensible  of  this  momentous  truth,  you 
have  improved  upon  your  first  essay,  by  the  adoption  of  a  constitution  of  Govern- 
ment better  calculated  than  your  former,  for  an  intimate  union,  and  for  the  effica- 
cious management  of  yom-  common  concerns.  This  Government,  the  offspring  of  our 
own  choice,  iminfluenced  and  unawed,  adopted  upon  full  investigation  and  mature 
dehberation,  completely  free  in  its  principles,  in  the  distribution  of  its  powers,  unit- 
ing security  with  energy,  and  containing  within  itself  a  provision  for  its  own  amend- 
ment, has  a  just  claim  to  your  confidence  and  your  support.  Respect  for  its 
authority,  compliance  with  its  laws,  acquiescence  in  its  measures,  are  duties  enjoined 
by  the  fundamental  maxims  of  true  hberty.  The  basis  of  our  political  systems  is 
the  right  of  the  People  to  make  and  to  alter  their  constitutions  of  Government;  but, 
the  constitution  which  at  any  time  exists,  till  changed  by  an  explicit — an  authentic 
act  of  the  whole  People,  is  sacredly  obligatory  upon  all.  The  very  idea  of  the  power 
and  the  right  of  the  People  to  establish  Government,  presupposes  the  duty  of  every 
individual  to  obey  the  established  Government. 

All  obstructions  to  the  execution  of  the  laws,  all  combinations  and  associations, 
under  whatever  plausible  character,  with  the  real  design  and  direct,  control,  coun- 


170  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

teract,  or  awe  the  regular  deliberation  and  action,  of  the  constituted  authorities,  are 
destructive  of  this  fundamental  principle,  and  of  fatal  tendency.  They  serve  to 
organize  faction,  to  give  it  an  artificial  and  extraordinary  force,  to  put  in  the  place 
of  the  delegated  will  of  the  Nation,  the  will  of  a  Party,  often  a  small  but  artful  and 
enterprising  minority  of  the  community;  and,  according  to  the  alternate  triumphs 
of  different  parties,  to  make  the  public  Administration  the  mirror  of  the  ill -concerted 
and  incongruous  projects  of  faction,  rather  than  the  organ  of  consistent  and  whole- 
some plans,  digested  by  common  counsels,  and  modified  by  mutual  interests. 

However  combinations  or  associations  of  the  above  descriptions  may  now  and 
then  answer  popular  ends,  they  are  likely,  in  the  course  of  time  and  things,  to 
become  potent  engines,  by  which  cunning,  ambitious,  and  unprincipled  men,  will  be 
enabled  to  subvert  the  power  of  the  People,  and  to  usurp,  for  themselves,  the  reins 
of  Government;  destroying  afterwards,  the  very  engines  which  lifted  them  to 
unjust  dominion. 

Towards  the  preservation  of  your  Government,  and  the  permanency  of  your 
present  happy  state,  it  is  requisite,  not  only  that  you  steadily  discountenance 
irregular  oppositions  to  its  acknowledged  authority,  but  also  that  you  resist  with 
care,  the  spirit  of  innovation  upon  its  principles,  however  specious  the  pretexts. 
One  method  of  assault  may  be  to  effect,  in  the  forms  of  the  Constitution,  alterations 
which  will  impair  the  energy  of  the  system,  and  thus  to  undermine  what  cannot  be 
directly  overthrown.  In  all  the  changes  to  which  you  may  be  invited,  remember 
that  time  and  habit  are,  at  least,  as  necessary  to  fix  the  true  character  of  Govern- 
ments, as  of  other  human  institutions;  that  experience  is  the  surest  standard  by 
which  to  test  the  real  tendency  of  the  existing  constitution  of  a  country;  that 
facility  in  changes,  upon  the  credit  of  mere  hypothesis  and  opinion ;  and  remember, 
especially,  that  for  the  efficient  management  of  your  common  interests,  in  a  country 
so  extensive  as  ours,  a  Government  of  as  much  vigor  as  is  consistent  with  the 
perfect  security  of  liberty,  as  indispensable.  Liberty  itself  will  find  in  such  a  Gov- 
ernment, with  powers  properly  distributed  and  adjusted,  its  surest  guardian.  It  is, 
indeed,  little  else  than  a  name,  where  the  Government  is  too  feeble  to  withstand  the 
enterprises  of  faction,  to  confine  each  member  of  the  society  within  the  limits  pre- 
scribed by  the  laws,  and  to  maintain  all  in  the  secure  and  tranquil  enjoyment  of  the 
rights  of  person  and  property. 

I  have  already  intimated  to  you,  the  danger  of  parties  in  the  State,  with  par- 
ticular reference  to  the  founding  of  them  on  geographical  discriminations.  Let  me 
now  take  a  more  comprehensive  view,  and  warn  you  in  the  most  solemn  manner 
against  the  baneful  effects  of  the  spirit  of  party,  generally. 

The  spirit,  unfortunately,  is  inseparable  from  our  nature,  having  its  root  in 
the  strongest  passions  of  the  human  mind.  It  exists  under  different  shapes,  in  all 
Governments;  more  or  less  stifled,  controlled  or  repressed;  but  in  those  of  the 
popular  form,  it  is  seen  in  its  greatest  rankness,  and  is  truly  their  worst  enemy. 

The  alternate  domination  of  one  faction  over  another,  sharpened  by  the  spirit 
of  revenge,  natural  to  party  dissension,  which,  in  different  ages  and  countries,  has 
perpetrated  the  most  horrid  enormities,  is,  itself,  a  frightful  despotism.  But  this 
leads,  at  length,  to  a  more  formal  and  permanent  despotism.  The  disorders  and 
miseries  which  result,  gradually  incline  the  minds  of  men  to  seek  security  and 


WASHINGTON   THE   PRESIDENT.  I71 

repose  in  the  absolute  power  of  an  individual ;  and,  sooner  or  later,  the  chief  of  some 
prevailing  faction,  more  able  or  more  fortunate  than  his  competitors,  turns  this  dis- 
position to  the  purposes  of  his  own  elevation,  on  the  ruins  of  public  hberty. 

Without  looking  forward  to  an  extremity  of  this  kind  (which  nevertheless  ought 
not  to  be  entirely  out  of  sight)  the  common  and  continued  mischiefs  of  the  spirit 
of  party  are  sufficient  to  make  it  the  interest  and  duty  of  a  wise  People  to  discourage 
and  restrain  it.  It  serves  always  to  distract  the  public  councils  and  enfeeble  the 
public  administrations.  It  agitates  the  community  with  ill-founded  jealousies  and 
false  alarms ;  kindles  the  animosity  of  one  part  against  another,  foments,  occasion- 
ally, riot  and  insurrection.  It  opens  the  door  to  foreign  influence  and  corruption, 
which  find  a  facilitated  access  to  the  Government  itself,  through  the  channels  of 
party  passions.  Thus  the  policy  and  the  will  of  one  country  are  subjected  to  the 
policy  and  will  of  another. 

There  is  an  opinion  that  parties  in  free  countries  are  useful  checks  upon  the 
administration  of  the  Government,  and  serve  to  keep  alive  the  spirit  of  liberty. 
This,  within  certain  limits,  is  probably  true,  and  in  Governments  of  a  monarchical 
cast,  patriotism  may  look  with  indulgence,  if  not  with  favor,  upon  the  spirit  of 
party.  But  in  those  of  the  popular  character,  in  Governments  purely  elective,  it 
is  a  spirit  not  to  be  encouraged.  From  their  natural  tendency  it  is  certain  there 
will  always  be  enough  of  that  spirit  for  every  salutary  pin-pose,  and  there  being 
constant  danger  of  excess,  the  effort  ought  to  be,  by  force  of  public  opinion,  to 
mitigate  and  assuage  it.  A  fire  not  to  be  quenched,  it  demands  uniform  vigilance 
to  prevent  its  bursting  into  a  flame,  lest,  instead  of  warming,  it  should  consume. 

It  is  important,  likewise,  that  the  habits  of  thinking,  in  a  free  country,  should 
inspire  caution  in  those  intrusted  with  its  administration,  to  confine  themselves 
within  their  respective  constitutional  spheres,  avoiding,  in  the  exercise  of  the  powers 
of  one  department,  to  encroach  upon  another.  The  spirit  of  encroachment  tends 
to  consolidate  the  powers  of  all  the  departments  in  one,  and  thus  to  create,  whatever 
the  form  of  Government,  a  real  despotism.  A  just  estimate  of  that  love  of  power, 
proneness  to  abuse  it,  which  predominates  in  the  human  heart,  is  sufficient  to  satisfy 
us  of  the  truth  of  this  position.  The  necessity  of  reciprocal  checks,  in  the  exercise 
of  political  power,  by  dividing  and  distributing  it  into  different  depositories,  and 
constituting  each  the  guardian  of  the  public  weal  against  invasions  by  the  others, 
has  been  evinced  by  experiments,  ancient  and  modern ;  some  of  them  in  our  country 
and  under  our  own  eyes.  To  preserve  them  must  be  as  necessary  as  to  institute 
them.  If,  in  the  opinion  of  the  People,  the  distribution  or  modification  of  the 
constitutional  powers  be  in  any  particular  wrong,  let  it  be  corrected  by  an  amend- 
ment, in  the  way  which  the  Constitution  designates :  But  let  there  be  no  change  by 
usurpation;  for  though  this,  in  one  instance,  may  be  the  instrument  of  good,  it  is  the 
customary  weapon  by  which  free  Governments  are  destroyed.  The  precedent  must, 
always,  greatly  overbalance,  in  permanent  evil,  any  partial  or  transient  benefit 
which  the  use  can,  at  any  time,  yield. 

Of  all  the  dispositions  and  habits  which  lead  to  political  prosperity,  religion 
and  morality  are  indispensable  supports.  In  vain  would  that  man  claim  the  tribute 
of  patriotism,  who  should  labor  to  subvert  these  great  pillars  of  human  happiness, 
these  firmest  props  of  the  duties  of  men  and  citizens.     The  mere  politician,  equally 


172  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

with  the  pious  man,  ought  to  respect  and  to  cherish  them.  A  volume  could  not 
trace  all  their  connections  with  private  and  pubhc  felicity.  Let  it  simply  be  asked, 
where  is  the  security  for  property,  for  reputation,  for  life,  if  the  sense  of  religious 
obligation  desert  the  oaths  which  are  the  instruments  of  investigation  in  courts  of 
justice?  And  let  us  with  caution  indulge  the  supposition,  that  morality  can  be 
maintained  without  religion.  WTiatever  may  be  conceded  to  the  influence  of  refined 
education,  on  minds  of  pecuUar  structure,  reason  and  experience  both  forbid  us  to 
expect,  that  national  morality  can  prevail  in  exclusion  of  religious  principle. 

It  is  substantially  true,  that  virtue  or  morality  is  a  necessary  spring  of  popular 
Government.  The  rule  indeed  extends,  with  more  or  less  force,  to  every  species 
of  free  government.  Who  that  is  a  sincere  friend  to  it,  can  look  with  indifference 
upon  attempts  to  shake  the  foundation  of  the  fabric? 

Promote,  then,  as  an  object  of  primary  importance,  institutions  for  the  general 
diffusion  of  knowledge.  In  proportion  as  the  structure  of  a  Government  gives  force 
to  public  opinion,  it  is  essential  that  public  opinion  should  be  enlightened. 

As  a  very  important  soiuce  of  strength  and  security,  cherish  public  credit. 
One  method  of  preserving  it,  is  to  use  it  as  sparingly  as  possible ;  avoiding  occasions 
of  expense  by  cultivating  peace,  but  remembering  also,  that  timely  disbursements 
to  prepare  for  danger,  frequently  prevent  much  greater  disbursements  to  repel  it: 
Avoiding  likewise  the  accumulation  of  debt,  not  only  by  shimning  occasions  of 
expense,  but  by  vigorous  exertions  in  time  of  peace  to  discharge  the  debts  which 
unavoidable  wars  may  have  occasioned,  not  ungenerously  throwing  upon  posterity 
the  burden  which  we  ourselves  ought  to  bear.  The  execution  of  these  maxims 
belongs  to  your  Representatives,  but  it  is  necessary  that  public  opinion  should 
co-operate.  To  facilitate  to  them  the  performance  of  their  duty,  it  is  essential  that 
you  should  practically  bear  in  mind,  that  towards  the  payment  of  debts  there  must 
be  revenue ;  that  to  have  revenue  there  must  be  taxes ;  that  no  taxes  can  be  devised 
which  are  not,  more  or  less,  inconvenient  and  unpleasant;  that  the  intrinsic  embar- 
rassment inseparable  from  the  selection  of  the  proper  objects  (which  is  always  a 
choice  of  difficulties)  ought  to  be  a  decisive  motive  for  a  candid  construction  of  the 
conduct  of  the  Government  in  making  it;  and  for  a  spirit  of  acquiescence  in  the 
measures  for  obtaining  revenue,  which  the  public  exigencies  may  at  any  time  dictate. 

Observe  good  faith  and  justice  towards  all  nations;  cultivate  peace  and  har- 
mony with  all.  Religion  and  moraUty  enjoin  this  conduct ;  and  can  it  be,  that  good 
policy  does  not  equally  enjoin  it?  It  will  be  worthy  of  a  free,  enlightened,  and 
(at  no  distant  period)  a  great  Nation,  to  give  to  making  the  magnanimous  and  too 
novel  example  of  a  People,  always  guided  by  an  exalted  justice  and  benevolence. 
Who  can  doubt  that  in  the  coiu-se  of  time  and  things,  the  fruits  of  such  a  plan  would 
richly  repay  any  temporary  advantages  which  might  be  lost  by  a  steady  adherence 
to  it.  Can  it  be,  that  Providence  has  not  connected  the  permanent  felicity  of  a 
Nation  with  its  virtue?  The  experiment,  at  least,  is  recommended  by  every  senti- 
ment which  ennobles  human  nature.     Alas!  is  it  rendered  impossible  by  its  \'ices? 

In  the  execution  of  such  a  plan,  notliing  is  more  essential  than  that  permanent, 
inveterate  antipathies  against  particular  nations,  and  passionate  attachments  for 
others,  should  be  excluded;  and  that  in  place  of  them,  just  and  amicable  feelings 
towards  all  should  be  cultivated.     The  nation  which  indulges  towards  another  a 


WASHINGTON   THE   PRESIDENT  1 73 

habitual  hatred,  or  a  habitual  fondness,  is  in  some  degree  a  slave.  It  is  a  slave  to 
its  animosity  or  to  its  affection,  either  of  which  is  sufficient  to  lead  it  astray  from  its 
duty  and  its  interest.  Antipathy  in  one  nation  against  another,  disposes  each  more 
readily  to  offer  insult  and  injury,  to  lay  hold  of  slight  causes  of  umbrage,  and  to 
be  haughty  and  intractable,  when  accident  or  trifling  occasions  of  dispute  occur. 

Hence  frequent  collisions,  obstinate,  envenomed,  and  bloody  contests.  The 
nation,  prompted  by  ill-will  and  resentment,  sometimes  impels  to  war  the  Govern- 
ment, contrary  to  the  best  calculations  of  policy.  The  Government  sometimes 
participates  in  the  national  propensity,  and  adopts,  through  passion,  what  reason 
would  reject;  at  other  times,  it  makes  the  animosity  of  the  nation  subservient  to 
projects  of  hostility,  instigated  by  pride,  ambition,  and  other  sinister  and  pernicious 
motives.  The  peace  often,  sometimes,  perhaps,  the  liberty  of  nations  has  been 
the  victim. 

So  likewise,  a  passionate  attachment  of  one  nation  for  another  produces  a 
variety  of  evils.  Sympathy  for  the  favorite  nation,  facilitating  the  illusion  of  an 
imaginary  common  interest,  in  cases  where  no  real  common  interest  exists,  and 
infusing  into  one  the  enmities  of  the  other  betrays  the  former  into  a  participation 
in  the  quarrels  and  wars  of  the  latter,  without  adequate  inducement  or  justification. 
It  leads  also  to  concessions  to  the  favorite  nation  of  privileges  denied  to  others, 
which  is  apt  doubloy  to  injure  the  nation  making  the  concessions,  by  unnecessary 
parting  with  what  ought  to  have  been  retained ;  and  by  exciting  jealousy,  ill-will  and 
a  disposition  to  retaliate,  in  the  parties  from  whom  equal  privileges  are  withheld; 
and  it  gives  to  ambitious,  corrupted,  or  deluded  citizens  (who  devote  themselves 
to  the  favorite  nation)  facility  to  betray,  or  sacrifice  the  interests  of  their  own 
country,  without  odium,  sometimes  even  with  popularity ;  gilding  with  the  appear- 
ances of  a  virtuous  sense  of  obligation,  a  commendable  deference  for  pubhc  opinion, 
or  a  laudable  zeal  for  public  good,  the  base  or  foolish  compUances  of  ambition, 
corruption,  or  infatuation. 

As  avenues  to  foreign  influence  in  innumerable  ways,  such  attachments  are 
particularly  alarming  to  the  enlightened  and  independent  patriot.  How  many 
opportunities  do  they  afford  to  tamper  with  domestic  factions,  to  practise  the  arts 
of  education,  to  mislead  public  opinion,  to  influence  or  awe  the  public  councils. 
Such  an  attachment  of  a  small  or  weak,  towards  a  great  and  powerful  nation, 
dooms  the  former  to  be  the  satellite  of  the  latter. 

Against  the  insidious  wiles  of  foreign  influence  (I  conjure  you  to  believe  me, 
fellow  citizens),  the  jealousy  of  a  free  People  ought  to  be  constantly  awake;  since 
history  and  experience  prove  that  foreign  influence  is  one  of  the  most  baneful  foes 
of  Republican  Government.  But  that  jealousy,  to  be  useful,  must  be  impartial; 
else  it  becomes  the  instrument  of  the  very  influence  to  be  avoided,  instead  of  a 
defence  against  it.  Excessive  partiality  for  one  foreign  nation,  and  excessive  dislike 
of  another,  cause  those  whom  they  actuate  to  see  danger  only  on  one  side,  and 
serve  to  veil  and  even  to  second  the  arts  of  the  influence  on  the  other.  Real  patriots, 
who  may  resist  the  intrigues  of  the  favorite,  are  liable  to  become  suspected  and 
odious;  while  its  tools  and  dupes  usurp  the  applause  and  confidence  of  the  People, 
to  surrender  their  interests. 

The  great  rule  of  conduct  for  us,  in  regard  to  foreign  nations,  is,  in  extending 


174  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

our  commercial  relations,  to  have  with  them  as  little  political  connection  as  possible. 
So  far  as  we  have  already  formed  engagements,  let  them  be  fulfilled  with  perfect 
good  faith.     Here  let  us  stop. 

Europe  has  a  set  of  primary  interests,  which  to  us  have  none,  or  a  very  remote 
relation.  Hence  she  must  be  engaged  in  frequent  controversies,  the  causes  of  which 
are  essentially  foreign  to  our  concerns.  Hence,  therefore,  it  must  be  unwise  in  us 
to  imphcate  om-selves  by  artificial  ties,  in  the  ordinary  vicissitudes  of  her  politics, 
or  the  ordinary  combinations  and  collisions  of  her  friendships  or  enmities. 

Oiu"  detached  and  distant  situation  invites  and  enables  us  to  pursue  a  different 
course.  If  we  remain  one  People,  under  an  efficient  Government,  the  period  is 
not  far  off,  when  we  may  defy  material  injury  from  external  annoyance;  when 
we  take  such  an  attitude  as  will  cause  the  neutraUty  we  may  at  any  time  resolve 
upon  to  be  scrupulously  respected;  when  belligerent  nations,  under  the  impossibihty 
of  making  acquisitions  upon  us,  will  not  hghtly  hazard  the  giving  us  provocation ; 
when  we  may  choose  Peace  or  War,  as  our  interest,  guided  by  justice,  shall  counsel. 
Why  forego  the  advantages  of  so  peculiar  a  situation?  Why  quit  oiu"  own  to 
stand  upon  foreign  ground?  Why,  by  interweaving  our  destiny  with  that  of  any 
part  of  Europe,  entangle  our  peace  and  prosperity  in  the  toils  of  European  ambition, 
rivalship,  interest,  humor,  or  caprice? 

It  is  our  true  policy  to  steer  clear  of  permanent  alliances  with  any  portion  of 
the  foreign  world ;  so  far,  I  mean,  as  we  are  now  at  hberty  to  do  it ;  for  let  me  not 
be  imderstood  as  capable  of  patronizing  infidelity  to  existing  engagements.  I  hold 
the  maxim  no  less  applicable  to  public  than  to  private  affairs,  that  honesty  is  always 
the  best  policy.  I  repeat  it,  therefore,  let  those  engagements  be  observed  in  their 
genuine  sense.  But,  in  my  opinion,  it  is  imnecessary,  and  would  be  unwise  to  extend 
them. 

Taking  care  always  to  keep  ourselves,  by  suitable  establishments,  on  a  respect- 
able defensive  postm'e,  we  may  safely  trust  to  temporary  aUiances  for  extraordinary 
emergencies. 

Harmony,  and  a  liberal  intercourse  with  all  nations,  are  recommended  by  policy, 
numanity,  and  interest.  But  even  our  commercial  poUcy  should  hold  an  equal  and 
impartial  hand;  neither  seeking  nor  granting  exclusive  favors  or  preferences; 
consulting  the  natural  course  of  things ;  diffusing  and  diversifying,  by  gentle  means, 
the  streams  of  commerce,  but  forcing  nothing ;  estabUshing,  with  powers  so  disposed, 
in  order  to  give  trade  a  stable  course,  to  define  the  rights  of  our  merchants,  and  to 
enable  the  government  to  support  them ;  conventional  rules  of  intercourse,  the  best 
that  present  circumstances  and  mutual  opinion  wiU  permit,  but  temporary,  and 
liable  to  be  from  time  to  time  abandoned  or  varied,  as  experience  and  circumstances 
shall  dictate;  constantly  keeping  in  view,  that  it  is  folly  in  one  nation  to  look  for 
disinterested  favors  from  another;  that  it  must  pay  with  a  portion  of  its  inde" 
pendence  for  whatever  it  may  accept  under  that  character ;  that  by  such  acceptance 
it  may  place  itself  Ln  the  condition  of  having  given  equivalents  for  nominal  favors, 
and  yet  of  being  reproached  with  ingratitude  for  not  giving  more.  There  can  be 
no  greater  error  than  to  expect  or  calculate  upon  real  favors  from  nation  to  nation. 
It  is  an  illusion  which  experience  must  cure,  which  a  just  pride  ought  to  discard. 
In  offering  to  you,  my  countrymen,  these  counsels  of  an  old  and  affectionate 


WASHINGTON   THE   PRESIDENT.  1 75 

friend,  I  dare  not  hope  they  will  make  the  strong  and  lasting  impression  I  could 
wish ;  that  they  will  control  the  usual  current  of  the  passions,  or  prevent  our  Nation 
from  running  the  course  which  has  hitherto  marked  the  destiny  of  nations:  But 
if  I  may  even  flatter  myself  that  they  may  be  productive  of  some  partial  benefit, 
some  occasional  good;  that  they  may  now  and  then  recur,  to  moderate  the  fury 
of  party  spirit,  to  warn  against  the  mischiefs  of  foreign  intrigue,  to  guard  against 
the  impostures  of  pretended  patriotism;  this  hope  will  be  a  full  recompense  for  the 
soUcitude  of  your  welfare,  by  which  they  have  been  dictated. 

How  far,  in  the  discharge  of  my  official  duties,  I  have  been  guided  by  the 
principles  which  have  been  delineated,  the  public  records  and  other  evidences  of 
my  conduct  must  witness  to  you  and  to  the  world.  To  myself,  the  assurance  of 
my  own  conscience  is,  that  I  have  at  least  believed  myself  to  be  guided  by  them. 

la  relation  to  the  still  subsisting  war  in  Europe,  my  Proclamation  of  the  22nd 
of  April,  1793,  is  the  index  to  my  plan.  Sanctioned  by  your  appro\'ing  voice, 
and  by  that  of  your  Representatives  in  both  Houses  of  Congress,  the  spirit  of  that 
measure  has  continually  governed  me;  uninfluenced  by  any  attempts  to  deter  or 
divert  me  from  it. 

After  deliberate  examination  with  the  aid  of  the  best  lights  I  could  obtain, 
I  was  well  satisfied  that  our  country',  under  all  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  had 
a  right  to  take,  and  was  bound  in  duty  and  interest  to  take  a  neutral  position. 
Havnng  taken  it,  I  determined,  as  far  as  should  depend  upon  me,  to  maintain  it 
with  moderation,  perseverance,  and  firmness. 

The  considerations  which  respect  the  right  to  hold  this  conduct,  it  is  not 
necessary,  on  this  occasion,  to  detail.  I  will  only  observ^e,  that  according  to  my 
understanding  of  the  matter,  that  right,  so  far  from  being  denied  by  any  of  the 
beUigerent  powers,  has  been  virtually  admitted  by  aU. 

The  duty  of  holding  a  neutral  conduct  may  be  inferred,  without  any  thing 
more,  from  the  obligations  which  justice  and  humanity  impose  on  every  nation, 
in  cases  in  which  it  is  free  to  act,  to  maintain  inviolate  the  relations  of  peace  and 
amity  towards  other  nations. 

The  inducements  of  interest  for  observing  that  conduct  will  best  be  referred 
to  your  own  reflections  and  experience.  With  me  a  predominant  motive  has  been, 
to  endeavor  to  gain  time  to  our  country  to  settle  and  mature  its  yet  recent  institu- 
tions, and  to  progress  without  interruption  to  that  degree  of  strength  and  con- 
sistency, which  is  necessary  to  give  it,  humanly  speaking,  the  command  of  its  own 
fortunes. 

Though  in  reviewing  the  incidents  of  ray  administration,  I  am  unconscious  of 
intentional  error,  I  am,  nevertheless,  too  sensible  of  my  defects  not  to  think  it  prob- 
able that  I  may  have  committed  many  errors.  Whatever  they  may  be,  I  fervently 
beseech  the  Almighty  to  avert  or  mitigate  the  e\-ils  to  which  they  may  tend.  I 
shall  also  carry  with  me  the  hope  that  my  country  will  never  cease  to  view  them 
with  indulgence ;  and  that,  after  forty-five  years  of  my  life  dedicated  to  its  service, 
with  an  upright  zeal,  the  faults  of  incompetent  abilities  will  be  consigned  to  obhvion, 
as  myself  must  soon  be  to  the  mansions  of  rest. 

Relying  on  its  kindness,  in  this  as  in  other  things,  and  actuated  by  that  fervent 
love  towards  it,  which  is  natural  to  a  man  who  views  in  it  the  native  soU  of  himself 


176  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN    AND   THE    MASON. 

and  his  progenitors  for  several  generations,  I  anticipate  with  pleasing  expectation 
that  retreat,  in  which  I  promise  myself  to  reahze  without  alloy  the  sweet  enjoyment 
of  partaking,  in  the  midst  of  my  fellow-citizens,  the  benign  influence  of  good  laws 
under  a  free  Government — the  ever-favorite  object  of  my  heart,  and  the  happy 
reward,  as  I  trust,  of  our  mutual  cares,  labors  and  dangers. 

Go.  Washington. 
United  States,  lylh  September,  iyg6. 


/^^-^C-'fl^-  /Km,^e^    ^£-»i-»^      *r*l^    erT'^g-^   'plj~C>^  ir*iSt^S     *f*f^    i 


*^  *.<je6»c»^  ^  A.  ^iA-itilf^ 


o 


c 


LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH  OF  WASHINGTON 

(?  /  Jt)  ^'^^^^^'^  arrived  here  on  Wednesday,  March  15,  without  any 
'^^■^^^  accidents,  after  a  tedious  and  fatiguing  journey  of 

seven  days.  Grandpa  is  very  well  and  much  pleased 
with  being  once  more  farmer  Washington,"  wrote 
Nellie  Custis  from  Mount  Vernon  to  Mrs.  Oliver 
Wolcott  in  Philadelphia. 

The  delay  in  the  General's  homeward  trip  is  easily  accounted  for. 
At  almost  every  village  he  was  met  by  the  townsfolk  with  addresses, 
and  in  the  principal  cities  functions  of  various  kinds  interrupted  his 
passage.  All  were  anxious  to  do  honor  to  the  retiring  chief,  and  the 
fatigue  spoken  of  by  IMiss  Custis  was  but  the  legitimate  product  of  the 
unfeigned  affections  of  the  people  for  Washington. 

After  eight  years'  service  as  President  in  New  York  and  Phila- 
delphia, the  General  resumed  his  agricultural  pursuits  with  accustomed 
energ}',  but  he  did  not,  as  on  former  occasions,  retire  from  all  partici- 
pation in  public  affairs.  He  was  anxious  to  see  his  cherished  policies 
vindicated  and  with  this  in  view  urged  his  political  adherents,  among 
them  John  Alarshall  and  Daniel  Morgan,  to  stand  for  Congress,  which 
they  did,  and  both  were  elected.  He  also  took  a  deep  interest  in  lay- 
ing out  the  city  of  Washington  and  assisted  in  locating  and  designing 
the  first  public  buildings. 

Naturally  his  neighbors,  among  whom  he  was  a  sort  of  human 
idol,  on  his  return  home,  promptly  renewed  their  former  association 
and  lost  no  opportunity  to  extend  to  him  every  courtesy  due  his 
exalted  state  and  uncommon  worth. 

Fifteen  days  after  his  arrival  home,  he  visited  his  Masonic  Lodge 
in  Alexandria  and  dined  with  them  at  Albert's  Tavern  and,  as  he  noted 
in  his  diary,  returned  to  Mount  Vernon  under  an  escort  of  mounted 
troops. 

After  his  continued  absence  he  found  much  to  do  on  the  farm 
in  the  nature  of  improvement.  Buildings  had  fallen  into  such  bad 
repair  as  to  require  immediate  attention.  On  April  3d  h^  wrote  to 
Secretary  of  War  James  McHenry: 

I  find  myself  in  the  situation  of  a  new  beginner ;  for,  although  I  have  not  houses 
to  build  (except  one,  which  I  must  erect  for  the  acconftnodation  and  security  of  my 

177 


178  WASHINGTON   THB    MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

military,  civil  and  private  papers,  which  are  voluminous  and  may  be  interesting), 
yet  I  have  scarcely  any  thing  else  about  me,  that  does  not  require  considerable 
repairs.  In  a  word,  I  am  already  surrounded  by  joiners,  masons,  and  painters; 
and  such  is  my  anxiety  to  get  out  of  their  hands,  that  I  have  scarcely  a  room  to 
put  a  friend  into,  or  to  sit  in  myself,  without  the  music  of  hammers,  or  the  odorif- 
erous scent  of  paint. 

In  a  letter  to  Oliver  Wolcott,  on  May  15,  he  declared: 

To  make  and  sell  a  little  flour  annually,  to  repair  houses  (going  fast  to  niin), 
to  build  one  for  the  security  of  my  papers  of  a  public  nature,  and  to  amuse  myself 
in  agricultural  and  rural  pursuits,  will  constitute  employment  for  the  few  years  I 
have  to  remain  on  this  terrestrial  globe.  If,  also,  I  could  now  and  then  meet  the 
friends  I  esteem,  it  would  fill  the  measure  and  add  zest  to  my  enjoyments;  but,  if 
ever  this  happens,  it  must  be  under  my  own  vine  and  fig-tree,  as  I  do  not  think  it 
probable  that  I  shall  go  beyond  twenty  miles  from  them. 

His  house  was  constantly  filled  with  guests  of  aU  classes  and  his 
correspondence,  covering  a  wider  field  than  ever,  was  consequently 
more  voluminous,  nevertheless  he  made  his  daily  rounds  and  visited 
his  several  plantations  whenever  the  weather  permitted. 

In  another  communication  on  May  29,  he  informs  James 
McHenry : 

I  begin  my  diiu'nal  course  with  the  sun,  if  my  hirelings  are  not  in  their  places 
at  that  time  I  send  them  messages  of  sorrow  for  their  indisposition.  Having  put 
these  wheels  in  motion  I  examine  the  state  of  things  further.  The  more  they  are 
probed,  the  deeper  I  find  the  wounds,  which  my  buildings  have  sustained  by  an 
absence  and  neglect  of  eight  years.  By  the  time  I  have  accomplished  these  matters, 
breakfast  is  ready.  This  being  over,  I  mount  my  horse  and  ride  around  my  farm, 
which  employs  me  until  it  is  time  to  dress  for  dinner  at  which  I  rarely  miss  seeing 
strange  faces. 

He  had  disposed  of  his  kennel  in  1787  and  no  longer  indulged  his 
passion  for  the  chase.  Most  of  those  who  had  formerly  joined  him  in 
this  strenuous  sport  had  passed  beyond  the  great  divide.  Few,  indeed, 
and  a  very  few,  with  whom  he  loved  to  mingle  in  early  life  were  left  to 
remind  him  of  those  happy  days,  and  the  dwindled  remnant,  who 
remained  like  himself,  had  long  since  passed  the  stage  of  vigorous 
youth  and  were  content  with  less  exciting  pastimes  to  while  away  the 
evening  of  their  lives. 

The  presence  of  the  strange  faces  referred  to  in  his  letter  to  Mr. 
McHenry  soon  became  a  serious  tax  upon  his  time  and  forced  the 
General  to  employ  someone  to  reUeve  him  of  a  part  of  the  social 
burden.  With  this  object  in  view  he  wrote  his  nephew,  Lawrence 
Lewis,  son  of  his  sister  Betty : 


NELLIE  CUSTIS  AS  A  BRIDE. 


LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH  OF  WASHINGTON.  1 79 

Whenever  it  is  convenient  to  you  to  make  this  place  your  home  I  shall  be  glad 
to  see  you.  ...  As  both  your  aunt  and  I  are  in  the  decline  of  life  and  regular 
in  our  habits,  especially  in  our  hours  of  rising  and  going  to  bed,  I  require  some 
person  (fit  and  proper)  to  ease  me  of  the  trouble  of  entertaining  company,  particu- 
larly of  nights,  as  it  is  my  inclination  to  retire  (and  unless  prevented  by  very  particu- 
lar company,  I  always  do  retire),  either  to  bed  or  to  my  study  soon  after  candle 
light.  In  taking  those  duties  (which  hospitality  obUges  one  to  bestow  on  company) 
off  my  hands,  it  would  render  me  a  very  acceptable  service. 

Lewis  accepted  the  invitation  and  soon  after  became  a  permanent 
member  of  the  family.  With  his  coming  an  element  of  romance 
was  inducted  into  the  sedate  halls  of  Mount  Vernon.  Washington's 
adopted  daughter,  Nellie  Custis,  then  maturing  into  beautiful  and 
attractive  womanhood,  was  the  constant  and  congenial  companion  of 
her  foster-father  in  his  daily  rides  about  his  farms,  and  shed  the  glad- 
ness-and  sunshine  of  her  genial  disposition  over  this  happy  household. 
It  was  the  buoyancy  of  youth,  stimulating  by  its  vivacity  the  declin- 
ing years  of  well  spent  lives. 

A  strong  attachment  soon  sprung  up  between  Miss  Custis  and 
young  Lewis,  which,  nurtured  by  daily  intercourse,  soon  ripened  into 
affection.  The  happy  union  of  these  favorites  was  a  source  of  great 
satisfaction  to  the  General  and  his  wife,  and  their  marriage,  solemnized 
at  Mount  Vernon  on  the  2 2d  of  February,  1 799,  less  than  a  year  before 
Washington's  death,  proved  one  of  the  happiest  and  most  brilliant 
occasions  in  the  history  of  that  famous  homestead. 

Foreseeing  the  necessity  of  economizing  time,  Washington,  imme- 
diately upon  his  return  from  Philadelphia,  prepared  a  system  for  the 
management  of  his  several  plantations,  placing  them  all  under  the 
supervision  of  a  general  foreman,  a  Mr.  Anderson,  who  was  required  to 
make  daily  reports.  He  was  relieved  by  this  method  of  much  of  the 
tedium  of  detail  and,  while  he  continued  his  daily  rounds  when  the 
weather  permitted,  he  did  not  enter  into  the  minutiae  and  personally 
instruct  his  sub-stewards  as  in  former  years,  but  transmitted  his 
orders  through  his  general  superintendent. 

Washington  was  then  an  international  hero,  so  to  speak,  and  was 
renowned  as  a  statesman  no  less  than  he  was  famed  as  a  military 
chieftain.  The  real  wisdom  and  impartial  sense  of  justice  demon- 
strated in  his  administrations  as  President  had  won  for  him  an 
enviable  place  in  the  hearts  of  impartial  critics  the  world  over. 
Firmly  intrenched  in  the  affections  of  his  own  people,  he  fervently 
hoped  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  life  in  the  undisturbed  enjoy- 


I  So  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

merits  of  domestic  peace.  The  sudden  interruption  of  this  pleasant 
prospect  by  a  serious  menace  of  war  with  France,  and  a  demand  for 
his  services  again,  was  a  sore  disappointment  to  him. 

We  have  hitherto  refrained  from  discussing  any  phase  of  the 
foreign  embrogUos  with  their  baneful  influence  upon  American  politics 
during  Washington's  administrations,  and  briefly  refer  to  them  now 
only  in  explanation  of  the  cause  of  the  former  President's  sudden  and 
unexpected  call  to  public  life  again. 

In  1789,  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  always  on  the  side  of  the 
struggling  masses,  proposed  in  the  national  assembly,  of  which  body 
he  was  then  a  member,  a  declaration  of  rights,  and  demanded  con- 
stitutional government  for  his  people.  This  demand  precipitated  a 
serious  revolution,  which  led  not  only  to  the  execution  of  the  king 
and  other  members  of  the  royal  family,  whom  Lafayette  wished  to 
protect;  but,  in  its  frenzy  and  thirst  for  blood,  the  Jacobin  party,  a 
creature  of  the  Revolution,  overthrew  the  very  purpose  for  which  the 
movement  was  inaugurated,  stripped  Lafayette  of  his  authority,  con- 
fiscated his  fortune,  and  finally,  through  the  bad  faith  of  Austria,  who 
claimed  to  be  neutral,  led  to  his  incarceration  in  the  fortress  of  Olmutz 
in  Moravia  for  a  period  of  nearly  five  years.  The  Marquise,  his 
wife,  had  also  been  forcibly  detained  in  a  small  chateau  at  Chavanaiac, 
but  was  finally  permitted,  with  her  two  daughters,  to  join  her  husband 
in  the  prison  above  mentioned,  during  which  time  their  oldest  son, 
George  Washington  Lafayette,  with  his  preceptor,  M.  Frestell,  flew 
to  America  and  was  received  by  Washington  in  Philadelphia  with  a 
most  cordial  assurance  of  friendship. 

These  internal  disturbances  in  France  had  produced  most  of  the 
political  discords  in  America.  The  President,  foreseeing  the  ultimate 
result  of  the  French  Revolution,  firmly  resisted  the  inchnation  of  a 
portion  of  his  cabinet  and  an  overwhelming  public  sentiment  to 
participate  in  their  domestic  quarrel,  and  when  France,  or  rather  the 
Jacobin  party,  declared  war  against  England,  further  complicating 
the  situation,  he  promptly  issued  a  proclamation  of  neutrality  (the 
22nd  of  April,  1793).  This  action,  the  sympathizers  of  the  revolu- 
tionists contended,  was  a  violation  of  the  spirit,  if  not  the  letter,  of 
the  alliance  with  that  nation,  and  aroused  the  most  violent  political 
dissensions  at  home,  which  continued  and  was  still  a  subject  of  discord 
at  the  termination  of  Washington's  last  administration.  Personally, 
he  deeply  sympathized  with  Lafayette  and  his  afllicted  family, 
exhausting  every  resource  to  secure  the  Marquis'  release  from  prison. 


LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH  OF  WASHINGTON.  l8l 

and,  although  the  place  of  Madame  Lafayette's  detention  was 
unknown  to  him,  he  forwarded,  through  the  American  minister,  from 
his  private  purse,  one  thousand  dollars  for  her  assistance  and  relief. 

Young  Lafayette  remained  at  Mount  Vernon  under  the  protec- 
tion of  General  Washington  until  October,  1797,  when,  receiving 
inteUigence  of  his  father's  release  from  prison,  he  hastened  home  to 
his  parents,  bearing  letters  from  Washington  assuring  his  father  of 
the  continued  friendship  of  the  American  people  for  the  Marquis  and 
his  son,  from  which  we  quote  the  following  brief  extract : 

M.  Frestell  has  been  a  true  mentor  to  George.  No  parent  could  have  been 
more  attentive  to  a  favorite  son ;  and  he  rightly  merits  all  that  can  be  said  of  his 
virtues,  of  his  good  sense,  and  of  his  prudence.  Both  your  son  and  he  carry  with 
them  the  vows  and  regrets  of  this  family,  and  all  who  know  them.  And  you  may 
be  assured  that  yom-self  never  stood  higher  in  the  affections  of  the  people  of  this 
coimtry,  than  at  the  present  moment. 

On  leaving  Mount  Vernon  young  Lafayette  received  a  check  from 
the  General  for  $300  on  the  Bank  of  Alexandria  to  defray  his  expenses 
home. 

Immediately  after  the  inauguration  of  President  Adams,  not- 
withstanding the  indignities  piled  upon  former  American  representa- 
tives by  the  French  Directory,  Mr.  Adams  renewed  the  efforts  of 
this  country  to  conciliate  that  body  and  appointed  three  envoys, 
General  Charles  Cotesworthy  Pinckney,  John  Marshall,  and  Elbridge 
Gerry,*  to  reconcile  the  existing  difference,  if  possible.  This  delega- 
tion secured  an  interview  with  M.  Talleyrand,  the  minister  for 
foreign  affairs.  Talleyrand  subsequently,  through  his  agents,  coolly 
demanded  fifty  thousand  pounds  for  himself  and  chiefs  as  a  fee  to 
lay  the  disputed  subject  before  the  Directory,  besides  a  loan  from 
America  to  France. 

The  avarice  of  Talleyrand  disgusted  and  angered  the  American 
envoys  and  completely  turned  the  tide  of  public  sentiment  against 
the  French  in  America.  On  the  return  of  the  envoys  Mr.  Pinckney 
offered  a  toast  at  a  banquet  in  Philadelphia — "Millions  for  defence, 
not  a  cent  for  tribute,"  which  instantly  became  the  general  cry. 
Washington's  foreign  policy  was  immediately  vindicated,  the  hands 
of  President  Adams  were  strengthened  by  these  selfish  demands,  and 


*Mr.  Gerry  was  a  democrat  and,  being  elected  Governor  of  Massachusetts,  rearranged  the 
congressional  districts  of  his  state  so  that  his  party  would  have  the  advantage  in  future  elections. 
This  gave  rise  to  the  term  "  Gerrymander." 


1 82  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN  AND   THE   MASON. 

all  America  now  stood  as  one  man,  a  mighty  and  determined  challenge 
to  French  cupidity. 

The  very  cause  which  at  one  time  had  threatened  the  destruction 
of  the  country  and  brought  violent  censure  on  the  administration  of 
the  first  President,  at  last  thoroughly  understood  by  the  public,  had 
again  united  it  as  nothing  else  could  do,  and  no  sooner  had  war  with 
France  become  probable  than  all  eyes  turned  again  to  Washington, 
at  Mount  Vernon,  as  the  logical  leader  of  the  combined  forces  of  the 
states. 

President  Adams  addressed  a  communication  to  him  on  the 
subject,  requesting  him  to  accept  the  supreme  command  of  all  the 
armies,  and  received  a  prompt  and  favorable  response.  Even  before 
Washington's  reply  had  arrived  the  President  nominated  him  to  the 
chief  command  of  the  armies  raised  or  to  be  raised,  and,  the  Senate 
unanimously  approving  the  appointment,  on  the  same  day  open 
instructions,  signed  by  the  President,  accompanied  by  a  letter  to 
General  Washington,  were  delivered  to  Mr.  McHenry,  the  Secretary 
of  War,  with  directions  to  the  Secretary  that  "you  embrace  the  first 
opportunity  to  set  out  on  your  journey  for  Mount  Vernon  and  wait 
on  General  Washington  with  the  commission  of  lieutenant-general 
and  commander-in-chief  of  the  armies  of  the  United  States."  Presi- 
dent Adams  further  requested  the  advice  of  General  Washington  in 
forming  a  list  of  subordinate  ofiicers  and  suggested  the  names  of 
Lincoln,  Morgan,  Knox,  Hamilton,  Gates,  Pinckney,  Lee,  Carrington, 
Hand,  Muhlenbuerg,  Dayton,  Burr,  Brooks,  Cobb,  Smith,  etc 

Washington  accepted  the  command  with  the  distinct  under- 
standing that  he  was  not  to  be  called  from  Mount  Vernon  for  active 
service  (except  in  the  preliminary  organization  of  the  army)  until 
the  exigencies  of  the  situation  made  it  necessary  for  him  to  take  the 
field. 

In  compliance  with  President  Adams'  suggestion,  he  named  his 
staff  of  subordinate  officers,  selecting  as  next  in  command  to  himself, 
General  Alexander  Hamilton,  Charles  Cotesworthy  Pinckney,  and 
General  Henry  Knox,  respectively.  Knox  declined,  and  Washington, 
hastening  to  Philadelphia,  November,  1798,  began  personally  the 
organization  of  the  land  and  naval  forces.  A  navy  department  was 
created  by  Congress  in  April,  and  on  May  21, 1798,  Benjamin  Stoddert 
of  Maryland  became  the  first  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

The  frigates  "United  States,"  forty-four,  and  "Constellation," 
thirty-eight  guns,  were  launched  and  fitted  for  sea,  and  on  the  i6th  of 


LAST   DAYS   AND   DEATH   OF   WASHINGTON.  183 

July  Congress  ordered  twelve  frigates,  twelve  ships  of  a  force  between 
twenty  and  twenty-four  guns,  and  six  sloops,  besides  galleys  and 
revenue  cutters,  making  a  total  of  thirty  active  cruisers. 

In  this  short-lived  conflict,  several  engagements  took  place  in 
the  West  Indies,  the  result  of  which  indicated  the  future  glory  of  the 
American  navy.  The  United  States  frigate  "Constellation,"  com- 
manded by  Commodore  Truxton,  after  a  fierce  engagement,  captured 
the  French  frigate  "I'lnsurgente"  of  forty  guns.  Other  victories  of 
like  importance  convinced  the  French  Directory  that  the  Americans 
were  in  earnest,  and  Talleyrand  sent  intimations  that  the  Directory 
was  willing  and  desirous  to  treat  for  peace,  whereupon  the  President 
nominated  William  Vans  Murray,  American  Minister  at  the  Hague, 
as  minister  plenipotentiary  to  the  French  RepubUc. 

Patrick  Henry  and  Chief  Justice  Oliver  Ellsworth  were  appointed 
joint  ambassadors.  Henry  declined  the  appointment  on  account 
of  iU  health  and  General  William  Richardson  Davies,  Governor 
of  North  Carohna,  and  EUsworth  were  subsequently  the  envoys 
and  negotiated  the  peace  which  terminated  this  quasi  war  with 
France. 

It  was  not  concluded,  however,  until  September  3,  1800,  when 
the  great  Napoleon  was  at  the  head  of  affairs  as  first  consul,  and  the 
greater  Washington  had  passed  from  this  "terrestrial  sphere  to  the 
mansion  of  his  fathers." 

Most  of  the  time  during  the  active  preparation  for  the  antici- 
pated struggle  with  France,  Hamilton  and  Pinckney  supervised  the 
military  preparations  while  Washington  remained  in  the  peaceful 
pursuit  of  his  domestic  afi'airs  at  Mount  Vernon. 

Immediately  after  his  appointment  as  commander-in-chief,  he 
secured  the  services  of  his  former  secretary,  Tobias  Lear,  in  the  same 
capacity  again,  and  shortly  afterwards  (March  28,  1798)  he  employed 
Mr.  Albin  Rawlins  as  assistant  to  Mr.  Lear.  From  that  time,  these 
gentlemen  were  busily  engaged  copying  and  cataloguing  Washington's 
private  and  public  papers,  of  which  there  was  an  enormous  accumula- 
tion. His  daily  correspondence  was  also  voluminous,  much  of  it 
from  distinguished  personages  in  foreign  lands.  Many  of  these  letters 
clearly  indicate  the  high  station  Washington  then  occupied  in  the 
eyes  of  the  great  men  of  the  world,  who  did  not  consider  it  beneath 
their  dignity  to  openly  avow  their  reverence. 

The  celebrated  Lord  Erskine  declared  in  a  letter  to  the  General, 
written  in  London : 


184  WASHINGTON   THE   iL'^"   AND  THE   MASON. 

I  have  a  large  acquaintance  among  the  most  valuable  and  exalted  r1  asses  of 
men,  but  you  are  the  only  human  being  for  whom  I  ever  felt  an  awful  reverence. 
I  sincerely  pray  God  to  grant  a  long  and  serene  evening  to  a  life  so  gloriously  devoted 
to  the  tmiversal  happiness  of  the  world. 

About  this  time  he  received  a  communication  from  General 
Dumas,  who  had  ser\-ed  in  the  revolutionar\'  army  under  Count 
de  Rochambeau.  Dumas  lovingly  referred  to  the  venerable  count 
and  adds: 

He  is  still  at  his  countr>'  seat  near  Vendome.  He  enjoys  there  tolerably  good 
health  considering  his  great  age,  and  reckons,  as  well  as  his  military  familj',  amongst 
his  most  dear  and  glorious  remembrances,  that  of  the  time  we  had  the  honor  to 
serv^e  under  your  command. 

Washington  had  not  heard  from  this  old  friend  and  former  com- 
patriot for  a  long  time  and  the  reference  of  Dumas  refreshed  his 
memory.  In  his  reply  he  sent  cordial  greetings  to  de  Rochambeau. 
This  worthy  patriot,  a  kindred  spirit  to  Lafayette  and,  like  that  heroic 
soul,  always  a  champion  of  the  people's  rights,  had  suffered  some  of 
the  vicissitudes  of  the  French  Revolution  also.  During  the  time  of 
terror  he  had  been  arrested,  conducted  to  Paris,  thrown  in  the  con- 
dergerie,  and  condemned  to  death.  '^Taen  the  car  came  to  convey 
a  number  of  victims  to  the  guillotine,  he  was  about  to  mount  it,  but 
the  executioner,  seeing  it  full,  cried  out  roughly,  "Stand  back,  old 
marshal;  your  turn  will  come  by  and  by.  '  A  sudden  change  in 
pohtical  affairs  saved  his  hfe  and  enabled  him  to  return  to  his  home 
near  Vendome,  where  he  then  resided. 

The  worthy  de  Rochambeau  survived  the  storms  of  the  Revolution.  In  1 803 
he  was  presented  to  Napoleon,  who,  pointing  to  Berthier  and  other  generals  who 
had  once  served  under  his  orders,  said,  "Marshal,  behold  your  scholars."  "The 
scholars  have  surpassed  their  master,"  repHed  the  modest  veteran.  In  the  follow- 
ing year  he  received  the  cross  of  Grand  OfiBcer  of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  and  a 
marshal's  pension.     He  died  full  of  years  and  honors  in  1807. 

Washington  seems  to  have  had  a  kind  of  premonition  of  his 
death.  The  last  year  of  life  was  devoted  largely  to  the  settlement 
of  his  private  affairs  and  in  arranging  for  the  final  distribution  of 
his  estate.  He  carefully  prepared  a  map*  of  his  Moimt  Vernon  farms, 
giving  the  number  of  acres  in  each  field  and  the  location  of  his  farm 
houses,  and  on  July  9  he  executed  his  last  wiU  and  testament  consist- 
ing of  twenty-nine  pages  of  manuscript,  written  entirely  by  himself, 
and  at  the  bottom  of  each,  with  the  exception  of  page  twenty-three, 

•See  facing  page  177. 


INTERIOR  CHRIST  CHURCH,  ALEXANDRIA,  VA. 

Pew  on  the  left  with  open  door  was  Washington's. 


EXTERIOR  CHRIST  CHURCH,   ALEXANDRIA,   VA. 


LAST  DAYS  AND   DEATH   OF  WASHINGTON.  185 

he  fixed  his  signature.     To  this  he  added  a  schedule  of  descriptive 
notes  of  the  property  devised  in  the  will.     Notwithstanding  his  many 
engagements  he  gave  much  time  to  social  intercourse,  paid  frequent 
visits  to  his  neighbors,  and  participated  in  numerous  festivities. 
In  his  diary,  he  notes: 

February  i  ith,  1799:  Went  up  to  Alexandria  to  the  celebration  of  my  birthday. 
Many  manoeuvres  were  performed  by  the  Uniform  Corps — and  an  elegant  Ball*  and 
supper  at  Night.     February  12th:  Returned  home. 

While  the  marriage  of  Miss  Custis,  to  which  we  have  previously 
referred,  was  the  occasion  of  a  briUiant  assemblage,  he  briefly  records 
it  as  follows: 

At  Mount  Vernon,  February  22nd.  The  Reverend  Mr.  (Thomas)  Davis  & 
Mr.  Geo.  Calvert  came  to  dinner  &  Miss  Custis  was  married  about  candle  Ught 
to  Mr.  Lawrence  Lewis. 

In  those  days  the  change  from  the  old  to  the  new  calender  had 
not  been  generally  adopted.  Thus  we  find  the  celebration  referred 
to  above  held  in  Alexandria  on  the  nth,  while  Miss  Custis'  marriage, 
also  intended  to  be  on  his  birthday,  took  place  on  the  22nd. 

Other  entries  Ukewise  show  that  he  was  frequently  away,  but 
while  most  of  his  trips  abroad  were  of  a  business  nature,  he  was  by 
no  means  a  social  recluse.  On  the  29th  of  April  we  find  him  survey- 
ing his  lands  on  Four  Mile  Run  and  on  the  i6th  of  May  he  attends 
the  races  in  Alexandria.  On  May  31  he  is  in  the  federal  city  where 
he  stays  until  June  2,  attending  church  in  Alexandria  on  his  way  home, 
and  on  July  4  he  diversifies  the  scene  by  participating  in  a  celebration 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  at  Kent's  Tavern  in  Alexandria, 
and  so  the  time  goes  on. 

In  September  he  received  news  of  the  death  of  his  brother 
Charles,  and  in  a  letter  to  Colonel  Burgess  Ball  he  says : 

I  was  the  first  and  now  the  last  of  my  father's  children  by  the  second  marriage, 
who  remain.  When  I  shall  be  called  upon  to  follow  them  is  known  only  to  the 
Giver  of  Life.  When  the  summons  comes  I  shall  endeavor  to  obey  it  with  a  good 
grace. 

In  November,  about  a  month  before  he  died,  he  visited  Alexandria 
on  business  and,  with  a  number  of  friends,  dined  at  Gadsby's  Tavern, 
now  the  City  Hotel.  During  the  repast,  it  was  suggested  that  a  new 
company  of  militia,  called  the  "  Independent  Blues, "  commanded  by 
Captain  Piercy,  an  oflScer  of  the  revolution  and  a  friend   of   the 

*This  Ball  was  held  in  City  Hotel,  see  opposite  page  55. 


1 86  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

General,  should  parade  for  his  inspection.  The  General,  in  company 
with  Colonel  Fitzgerald  (a  former  aide  in  the  revolution).  Dr.  Craik, 
Mr.  Keith,  Mr.  Herbert  and  several  other  gentlemen,  took  his  stand 
on  the  steps  of  the  hotel,  fronting  the  public  square  on  Royal  Street. 
The  troops  went  through  many  evolutions  with  great  spirit,  and 
concluded  by  firing  several  volleys.  When  the  parade  was  ended, 
the  General  sent  his  congratulations  to  Captain  Piercy,  by  George 
Washington  Parke  Custis,  his  adopted  son.  This  was  the  last  mili- 
tary order  issued  in  person  by  the  "Father  of  his  Countr}-,"  and  it 
was  from  the  steps  of  the  building  in  which,  when  but  twenty-three 
years  old,  he  had  received  his  commission  as  colonel  of  the  Virginia 
Mihtia,  and  where,  two  years  later,  he  made  his  headquarters  when 
commissioned  a  major  on  Braddock's  staff.  It  was  in  this  hotel  also 
that  the  assembhes  or  balls,  under  the  auspices  of  the  "Washington 
Society  of  Alexandria,"  were  held  during  the  winter  months,  and  the 
following  letter,  dated  a  few  days  after  he  held  the  review,  addressed 
to  the  Committee  on  Arrangements  for  these  assemblies,  is  among 
the  last  letters  Washington  ever  wrote.  The  original  of  this  letter, 
now  in  possession  of  Alexandria- Washington  Lodge  of  Masons,  is  a 
priceless  heirloom : 

MoxmT  Vernon,  izth  November,  lygg. 
Gentlemen  :  Mrs.  Washington  and  myself  have  been  honored  with  your  polite 
invitation  to  the  Assemblies  in  Alexandria,  this  winter,  and  thank  you  for  this  mark 
of  your  attention.  But  alas !  our  dancing  days  are  no  more.  We  wish,  however,  all 
those  whose  relish  for  so  agreeable  and  innocent  an  amusement,  all  the  pleasure 
the  season  will  afford  them.     And  I  am,  Gentlemen, 

Your  most  obedient  and  obliged  servant. 

Go.  Washington. 

Jonathan  Swift, 

George  Deneale, 

William  Newton, 

Robert  Young, 

Charles  Alexander, 

James  H.  Hooe. 

On  the  17th  of  the  same  month,  he  attended  church  for  the 
last  time.  "Went  to  (Christ)  Church  in  Alexandria  &  dined  with 
Mr.  Fitzhugh."  On  the  7th  of  December  he  made  his  last  social  call 
and  dined  with  Lord  Bryan  Fairfax  at  Mount  Eagle.*  Four  days 
later  he  notes,  in  his  daily  record : 

December  nth,  1799:  But  little  wind  and  rain — mercmy  44in  the  morning 
and  38  at  night.    About  nine  o'clock  wind  shifted  to  the  north-west  and  it  ceased 

*See  opposite  page  39. 


Managers. 


LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH  OF  WASHINGTON.  1 87 

raining  but  continued  cloudy — Lord  Fairfax,  his  son,  Thomas,  and  daughter — Mrs. 
Warner  Washington  and  son  Whiting  and  Mr.  John  Herbert  dined  here  and  returned 
after  dinner. 

These  were  apparently  his  last  visitors,  and  two  days  after  this 
entry,  on  the  13th,  he  makes  another  entry: 

Morning  snowing  and  about  three  inches  deep — wind  at  north-east  and 
mercury  at  30  continuing  snowing  till  one  o'clock — and  about  four  it  became 
perfectly  clear — wind  in  the  same  place  but  not  hard — mercury  28  at  night. 

These  were  the  last  lines  from  the  fertile  pen  of  Washington. 
The  curtain  was  about  to  fall  around  the  greatest  figure  in  history, 
whose  Hfe,  made  up  of  heroic  actions,  noble  impulses  and  devotion 
to  duty,  is  one  to  which  America  can  point  without  fear  of  truthful 
contradiction  as  representing  the  highest  ideal  of  human  perfection. 
Firm  and  strong  in  the  resolve  to  act  in  all  things  as  his  conscience 
told  him  was  right  as  it  respected  his  God,  his  country  and  himself, 
he  knew  no  divided  fidelity,  no  separate  obligation;  his  most  sacred 
duty  to  himself  was  his  highest  duty  to  his  country  and  his  God. 

Irving  says : 

The  character  of  Washington  may  want  some  of  those  poetical  elements,  which 
dazzle  and  delight  the  multitude,  but  it  possessed  fewer  inequalities  and  a  rarer 
union  of  virtues  than  perhaps  ever  fell  to  the  lot  of  one  man.  Prudence,  firmness, 
sagacity,  moderation,  an  overruling  judgment,  an  immovable  justice,  courage  that 
never  faltered,  patience  that  never  wearied,  truth  that  disdained  all  artifice,  mag- 
nanimity without  alloy.  It  seems  as  if  Providence  had  endowed  him  in  a  pre- 
eminent degree  with  the  qualities  requisite  to  fit  him  for  the  high  destiny  he  was 
called  upon  to  fulfil — to  conduct  a  momentous  revolution  which  was  to  form  an 
era  in  the  history  of  the  world,  and  to  inaugurate  a  new  and  untried  government, 
which,  to  use  his  own  words,  was  to  lay  the  foundation  "for  the  enjoyment  of  much 
purer  civil  hberty,  and  greater  pubhc  happiness,  than  have  hitherto  been  the  portion 
of  mankind." 

The  fame  of  Washington  stands  apart  from  every  other  in  history, 
shining  with  a  truer  luster  and  a  more  benignant  glory.  With  us  his 
memory  remains  a  national  property,  where  all  sympathies  throughout 
our  widely  extended  and  diversified  empire  meet  in  unison.  Under 
all  dissensions  and  amid  all  the  storms  of  party,  his  precepts  and 
example  speak  to  us  from  the  grave  with  a  paternal  appeal ;  and  his 
name — by  all  revered — forms  a  imiversal  tie  of  brotherhood,  a  watch- 
word of  our  Union. 

An  eminent  British  statesman  (Lord  Brougham)  writes : 


1 88  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN    AND   THE   MASON 

It  will  be  the  duty  of  the  historian  and  the  sage  of  all  nations  to  let  no  occasion 
pass  of  commemorating  this  illustrious  man,  and  until  time  shall  be  no  more,  will 
a  test  of  the  progress  which  our  race  has  made  in  wisdom  and  virtue,  be  derived 
from  the  veneration  paid  to  the  immortal  name  of  Washington. 

As  no  Other  account  of  the  last  illness  and  death  of  Washington 
is  likely  to  be  as  correct  as  that  prepared  by  an  eyewitness,  we  submit 
herewith  the  sworn  statement  of  his  private  secretary,  Mr.  Lear, 
attested  in  part  by  Dr.  Craik : 

LAST  ILLNESS  AND  DEATH  OF  WASHINGTON 

Mount  Vernon,  Saturday,  December  14th,  ijgg. 

This  day  being  marked  by  an  event,  which  will  be  memorable  in  the  history  of 
America  and  perhaps  of  the  world,  I  shall  give  a  particular  statement  of  it,  to  which 
I  was  an  eyewitness. 

On  Thursday,  December  12th,  the  General  rode  out  to  his  farms  about  ten 
o'clock,  and  did  not  return  home  till  past  three.  Soon  after  he  went  out,  the 
weather  became  very  bad,  rain,  hail,  snow  falling  alternately,  with  a  cold  wind. 
When  he  came  in,  I  carried  some  letters  to  him  to  frank,  intending  to  send  them  to 
the  postofEce  in  the  evening.  He  franked  the  letters,  but  said  the  weather  was 
too  bad  to  send  a  servant  to  the  office  that  evening.  I  observed  to  him,  that  I  was 
afraid  he  had  got  wet.  He  said.  No,  his  great-coat  had  kept  him  dry.  But  his 
neck  appeared  to  be  wet,  and  the  snow  was  hanging  upon  his  hair.  He  came  to 
dinner  (which  had  been  waiting  for  him)  without  changing  his  dress.  In  the 
evening  he  appeared  as  well  as  usual. 

A  heavy  fall  of  snow  took  place  on  Friday,  which  prevented  the  General  from 
riding  out  as  usual.  He  had  taken  cold,  undoubtedly  from  being  so  much  exposed 
the  day  before,  and  complained  of  a  sore  throat.  He,  however,  went  out  in  the 
afternoon  into  the  ground  between  the  house  and  the  river  to  mark  some  trees, 
which  were  to  be  cut  down  in  the  improvement  of  that  spot.  He  had  a  hoarseness, 
which  increased  in  the  evening;  but  he  made  light  of  it. 

In  the  evening  the  papers  were  brought  from  the  post-office  and  he  sat  in  the 
parlor  with  Mrs.  Washington  and  myself  reading  them,  till  about  nine  o'clock, 
when  Mrs.  Washington  went  into  Mrs.  Lewis's  room,  who  was  confined,  and 
left  the  General  and  myself  reading  the  papers.  He  was  very  cheerful,  and  when 
he  met  with  anything  interesting  or  entertaining  he  read  it  aloud  as  well  as  his 
hoarseness  would  permit.  He  requested  me  to  read  to  him  the  Debates  of  the 
Virginia  Assembly,  on  the  election  of  a  Senator  and  Governor;  and,  on  hearing 
Mr.  Madison's  observations  respecting  Mr.  Mom-oe,  he  appeared  much  affected 
and  spoke  with  some  degree  of  asperity  on  the  subject,  which  I  endeavored  to 
moderate,  as  I  always  did  on  such  occasions.  On  his  retiring  I  observed  to  him, 
that  he  had  better  take  something  to  remove  his  cold.  He  answered, "  No,  you  know 
I  never  take  anything  for  a  cold.     Let  it  go  as  it  came." 

Between  two  and  three  o'clock,  on  Saturday  morning,  he  awoke  Mrs.  Washing- 
ton, and  told  her  that  he  was  very  unwell,  and  he  had  had  an  ague.     She  observ'ed 


Dr  JAME5 
CRAIK 


Dr.  ELISHA 
C.DICK. 


Dr.  GU5TAVU5   BROWN 


TOBFAS    LEAR 


\VA>HI.\GT(i\>.  l'HVSICI.-\.\>  AM)   I'KIVATE  SHCKETARV. 


LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH  OF  WASHINGTON.  189 

that  he  could  scarcely  speak,  and  breathed  with  difficulty,  and  would  have  got  up 
to  call  a  servant.  But  he  would  not  permit  her,  lest  she  should  take  a  cold.  As 
soon  as  the  day  appeared,  the  woman  (Caroline)  went  into  the  room  to  make  a 
fire  and  Mrs.  Washington  sent  her  immediately  to  call  me.  I  got  up,  put  on  my 
clothes  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  went  to  his  chamber.  Mrs.  Washington  was 
then  up,  and  related  to  me  his  being  ill  as  before  stated.  I  found  the  General 
breathing  with  difficulty,  and  hardly  able  to  utter  a  word  intelligibly.  He  desired 
Mr.  Rawlins  (one  of  the  overseers)  might  be  sent  for  to  bleed  him  before  the  doctor 
could  arrive.  I  despatched  a  servant  instantly  for  Rawlins,  and  another  for  Dr. 
Craik,  and  returned  again  to  the  General's  chamber,  where  I  found  him  in  the  same 
situation  as  I  had  left  him. 

A  mixture  of  molasses,  vinegar,  and  butter  was  prepared  to  try  its  effects  in  the 
throat;  but  he  could  not  swallow  a  drop.  Whenever  he  attempted  it,  he  appeared 
to  be  distressed,  convulsed,  and  almost  suffocated.  Rawlins  came  in  soon  after 
sunrise,  and  prepared  to  bleed  him.  When  the  arm  was  ready,  the  General  observed 
that  Rawlins  appeared  to  be  agitated,  said,  as  well  as  he  could  speak,  "  Don't  be 
afraid."  And  when  the  incision  was  made,  he  observed,  "The  orifice  is  not  large 
enough."  However,  the  blood  ran  pretty  freely.  Mrs.  Washington,  not  knowing 
whether  bleeding  was  proper  or  not  in  the  General's  situation,  begged  that  much 
might  not  be  taken  from  him,  lest  it  should  be  injurious,  and  desired  me  to  stop  it; 
but,  when  I  was  about  to  untie  the  string,  the  General  put  up  his  hand  to  prevent 
it,  and,  as  soon  as  he  could  speak,  he  said,  "  More,  more."  Mrs.  Washington  being 
still  very  uneasy,  lest  too  much  blood  should  be  taken,  it  was  stopped  after  taking 
about  half  a  pint.  Finding  that  no  relief  was  obtained  from  bleeding,  and  that 
nothing  would  go  down  the  throat,  I  proposed  bathing  it  externally  with  sal  volatile, 
which  was  done,  and  in  the  operation,  which  was  with  the  hand,  and  in  the  gentlest 
manner,  he  observed,  "It  is  very  sore."  A  piece  of  flannel  dipped  in  sal  volatile 
was  put  around  his  neck,  and  his  feet  bathed  in  warm  water,  but  without  affording 
any  rehef . 

In  the  meantime,  before  Dr.  Craik  arrived,  Mrs.  Washington  desired  me  to 
send  for  Dr.  Brown  of  Port  Tobacco,  whom  Dr.  Craik  had  recommended  to  be 
called,  if  any  case  should  ever  occur,  that  was  seriously  alarming.  I  despatched 
a  messenger  immediately  for  Dr.  Brown,  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock.  Dr. 
Craik  came  in  soon  after,  and,  upon  examining  the  General,  he  put  a  blister  of 
cantharides  on  the  throat,  took  some  more  blood  from  him,  and  had  a  gargle  of 
vinegar  and  sage  tea  prepared;  and  ordered  some  vinegar  and  hot  water  for  him 
to  inhale  the  steam  of  it,  which  he  did;  but  in  attempting  to  use  the  gargle  he  was 
almost  suffocated.  When  the  gargle  came  from  the  throat,  some  phlegm  followed, 
and  he  attempted  to  cough,  which  the  doctor  encouraged  him  to  do  as  much  as 
possible ;  but  he  could  only  attempt  it.  About  eleven  o'clock  Dr.  Craik  requested 
that  Dr.  Dick  might  be  sent  for,  as  he  feared  Dr.  Brown  would  not  come  in  time. 
A  messenger  was  accordingly  despatched  for  him.  About  this  time  the  General 
was  bled  again.  No  effect,  however,  was  produced  by  it,  and  he  remained  in  the 
same  state,  unable  to  swallow  any  thing. 

Dr.  Dick  came  about  three  o'clock  and  Dr.  Brown  arrived  soon  after.  Upon 
Dr.  Dick's  seeing  the  General,  and  consulting  a  few  minutes  with  Dr.  Craik,  he 


I90  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

was  bled  again.  The  blood  came  very  slow,  was  thick,  and  did  not  produce  any 
symptoms  of  fainting.  Dr.  Brown  came  into  the  chamber  soon  after,  and  upon 
feehng  the  General's  pulse,  the  physicians  went  out  together.  Dr.  Craik  returned 
soon  after.  The  General  could  now  swallow  a  little.  Calomel  and  tartar  were 
administered,  but  without  any  effect. 

About  half  past  four  o'clock  he  desired  me  to  call  Mrs.  Washington  to  his 
bedside,  when  he  requested  her  to  go  down  into  his  room,  and  take  from  his  desk 
two  wills,  which  she  would  find  there,  and  bring  them  to  him,  which  she  did.  Upon 
looking  at  them  he  gave  her  one,  which  he  observed  was  useless,  as  being  superseded 
by  the  other,  and  desired  her  to  bum  it,  which  she  did,  and  took  the  other  and  put 
it  into  her  closet. 

After  this  was  done,  I  returned  to  his  bedside  and  took  his  hand,  He  said 
to  me:  "I  find  I  am  going.  My  breath  cannot  last  long.  I  believed  from  the 
first,  that  the  disorder  would  prove  fatal.  Do  you  arrange  and  record  all  my  late 
military  letters  and  papers.  Arrange  my  accoimts  and  settle  my  books  as  you 
know  more  about  them  than  any  one  else,  and  let  Mr.  Rawlins  finish  recording 
my  other  letters,  which  he  had  begun."  I  told  him  this  should  be  done.  He  then 
asked,  if  I  recollected  anything  which  it  was  essential  for  him  to  do,  as  he  had  but 
a  very  short  time  to  continue  with  us.  I  told  him,  that  I  could  recollect  nothing 
but  that  I  hoped  he  was  not  so  near  his  end.  He  observed,  smiling,  that  he  cer- 
tainly was,  and  that,  as  it  was  the  debt  which  we  must  all  pay,  he  looked  to  the 
event  with  perfect  resignation. 

In  the  course  of  the  afternoon  he  appeared  to  be  in  great  pain  and  distress, 
from  the  difficulty  of  breathing,  and  frequently  changed  his  posture  in  the  bed. 
On  these  occasions  I  lay  upon  the  bed  and  endeavoured  to  raise  him  and  turn  him 
with  as  much  ease  as  possible.  He  appeared  penetrated  with  gratitude  for  my 
attentions,  and  often  said,  "I  am  afraid  I  shall  fatigue  you  too  much;"  and  upon 
my  assuring  him,  that  I  could  feel  nothing  but  a  wish  to  give  him  ease,  he  replied, 
"Well,  it  is  a  debt  we  must  pay  to  each  other,  and  I  hope  when  you  want  aid  of 
this  kind,  you  will  find  it." 

He  asked  when  Mr.  Lewis  and  Washington  Custis  would  return.  (They  were 
then  in  New  Kent.)     I  told  him  about  the  20th  of  the  month. 

About  five  o'clock  Dr.  Craik  came  again  into  the  room,  and,  upon  going  to  the 
bedside  the  General  said  to  him;  "Doctor,  I  die  hard,  but  I  am  not  afraid  to  go. 
I  believed,  from  my  first  attack,  that  I  should  not  survive  it.  My  breath  cannot 
last  long."  The  doctor  pressed  his  hand,  but  could  not  utter  a  word.  He  retired 
from  the  bedside,  and  sat  by  the  fire  absorbed  in  grief. 

Between  five  and  six  o'clock  Dr.  Dick  and  Dr.  Brown  came  into  the  room, 
and  with  Dr.  Craik  went  to  the  bed,  when  Dr.  Craik  asked  him  if  he  could  sit  up 
in  the  bed.  He  held  out  his  hand,  and  I  raised  him  up.  He  then  said  to  the 
physicians:  "I  feel  myself  going;  I  thank  you  for  your  attentions;  but  I  pray  you 
to  take  no  more  trouble  about  me.  Let  me  go  off  quietly.  I  carmot  last  long." 
They  found  that  all  which  had  been  done  was  without  effect.  He  lay  down  again, 
and  all  retired  except  Dr.  Craik.  He  continued  in  the  same  situation,  uneasy  and 
restless,  but  without  complaining,  frequently  asking  what  hoiu-  it  was.  When  I 
helped  him  to  move  at  this  time,  he  did  not  speak,  but  looked  at  me  with  strong 
expressions  of  gratitude. 


Q 


2 

O 

o 

2 

<3 


O 

w 

is 

2 


O 

o 


LAST   DAYS  AND   DEATH   OF   WASHINGTON.  I91 

About  eight  o'clock  the  physicians  came  again  into  the  room,  and  applied 
blisters  and  cataplasms  of  wheat  bran  to  his  legs  and  feet,  after  which  they  went 
out,  except  Dr.  Craik,  without  a  ray  of  hope.  I  went  out  about  this  time,  and 
wrote  a  Une  to  Mr.  Law  and  Mr.  Peter,  requesting  them  to  come  with  their  wives 
(Mrs.  Washington's  granddaughters)  as  soon  as  possible  to  Mount  Vernon. 

About  ten  o'clock  he  made  several  attempts  to  speak  to  me  before  he  could 
effect  it.  At  length  he  said,  "I  am  just  going.  Have  me  decently  biu-ied;  and 
do  not  let  my  body  be  put  into  the  vault  in  less  than  three  days  after  I  am  dead." 
I  bowed  assent,  for  I  could  not  speak.  He  then  looked  at  me  again  and  said, 
"Do  you  understand  me?"     I  replied,  "Yes."     "'Tis  well,"  said  he. 

About  ten  minutes  before  he  expired  (which  was  between  ten  and  eleven 
o'clock) ,  his  breathing  became  easier.  He  lay  quietly ;  he  withdrew  his  hand  from 
mine,  and  felt  his  own  pulse.  I  saw  his  countenance  change.  I  spoke  to  Dr.  Craik, 
who  sat  by  the  fire.  He  came  to  the  bedside.  The  General's  hand  fell  from  his 
wrist.  I  took  it  in  mine,  and  pressed  it  to  my  bosom.  Dr.  Craik  put  his  hands 
over  his  eyes,  and  he  expired  without  a  struggle  or  a  sigh. 

While  we  were  fixed  in  silent  grief,  Mrs.  Washington,  who  was  sitting  at  the 
foot  of  the  bed,  asked  with  a  firm  and  collected  voice,  "  Is  he  gone?"  I  could  not 
speak,  but  held  up  my  hand  as  a  signal,  that  he  was  no  more.  "'Tis  well,"  said 
she,  in  the  same  voice,  "all  is  now  over;  I  shall  soon  follow  him;  I  have  no  more 
trials  to  pass  through." 

OCCURRENCES  NOT  NOTED  IN  THE  PRECEDING  NARRATIVE 

The  General's  servant,  Christopher,  was  in  the  room  during  the  day;  and  in 
the  afternoon  the  General  directed  him  to  sit  down,  as  he  had  been  standing  almost 
the  whole  day.     He  did  so. 

About  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  he  expressed  a  desire  to  get  up.  His 
clothes  were  put  on,  and  he  was  led  to  a  chair  by  the  fire.  He  foimd  no  relief  from 
that  position,  and  lay  down  again  about  ten  o'clock. 

About  five  in  the  afternoon,  he  was  helped  up  again,  and,  after  sitting  about 
half  an  hoiu",  he  desired  to  be  undressed  and  put  in  bed,  which  was  done. 

During  his  whole  illness  he  spoke  but  seldom,  and  with  great  difficulty  and 
distress;  and  in  so  low  and  broken  a  voice,  as  at  times  hardly  to  be  understood. 
His  patience,  fortitude,  and  resignation  never  forsook  him  for  a  moment.  In  all 
his  distress  he  uttered  not  a  sigh  nor  a  complaint;  always  endeavoring  from  a 
sense  of  duty  as  it  appeared,  to  take  what  was  offered  him,  and  to  do  as  he  was 
desired  by  the  physicians. 

At  the  time  of  his  decease.  Dr.  Craik  and  myself  were  in  the  situation  before- 
mentioned.  Mrs.  Washington  was  sitting  near  the  foot  of  the  bed.  Christopher 
was  standing  near  the  bedside.  Caroline,*  Molly,  and  Charlotte  were  in  the  room, 
standing  near  the  door.  Mrs.  Forbes,  the  housekeeper,  was  frequently  in  the  room 
during  the  day  and  evening. 

As  soon  as  Dr.  Craik  could  speak,  after  the  distressing  scene  was  closed,  he 
desired  one  of  the  servants  to  ask  the  gentlemen  below  to  come  upstairs.  When 
they  came  to  the  bedside,  I  kissed  the  cold  hand,  which  I  had  held  to  my  bosom, 
laid  it  down,  and  went  to  the  other  end  of  the  room,  where  I  was  for  some  time  lost 

*Caro!ine  Brennon. 


192  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON.  ' 

in  profound  grief,  until  aroused  by  Christopher  desiring  me  to  take  care  of  the 
General's  keys,  and  other  things,  which  were  taken  out  of  his  pockets,  and  which 
Mrs.  Washington  directed  him  to  give  to  me.  I  wrapped  them  in  the  General's 
handkerchief,  and  took  them  to  my  room. 

About  twelve  o'clock  the  corpse  was  brought  downstairs,  and  laid  out  in  the 
large  room.* 

Sunday,  December  15th.  Mrs.  Washington  sent  for  me  in  the  morning,  and 
desired  that  I  would  send  up  to  Alexandria  and  have  a  coffin  made,  which  I  did. 

Mrs.  Stuart  was  sent  for  in  the  morning.  About  ten  o'clock  Mr.  Thomas 
Peter  came  down;  and  about  two,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Law,  to  whom  I  had  written  on 
Saturday  evening.  Dr.  Thornton  came  down  with  Mr.  Law.  Dr.  Craik  stayed 
all  day  and  night. 

In  the  evening  I  consulted  with  Mr.  Law,  Mr.  Peter,  and  Dr.  Craik  on  fixing 
a  day  for  depositing  the  body  in  the  vault.  I  wished  the  ceremony  to  be  postponed 
till  the  last  of  the  week,  to  give  time  to  some  of  the  General's  relations  to  be  here; 
but  Dr.  Craik  and  Dr.  Thornton  gave  it  decidedly  as  their  opinion,  that  considering 
the  disorder  of  which  the  General  died,  being  of  an  inflammatory  nature,  it  would 
not  be  proper  to  keep  the  body  so  long,  and  therefore  Wednesday  was  fixed  upon 
for  the  funeral. 

Monday,  December  i6th.  I  directed  the  people  to  open  the  family  vault, 
clear  away  the  rubbish  about  it,  and  make  everything  decent;  ordered  a  door  to 
be  made  to  the  vault,  instead  of  closing  it  again  with  brick,  as  had  been  the  custom. 
Engaged  Mr.  Inglis  and  Mr.  Muim  to  have  a  mahogany  coffin  made,  lined  with  lead. 

Dr.  Craik,  Mr.  Peter,  and  Dr.  Thornton  left  us  after  breakfast.  Mrs.  Stuart 
and  her  daughters  came  in  the  afternoon.  Mr.  Anderson  went  to  Alexandria  to 
get  a  number  of  things  preparatory  for  the  funeral.  Moiuning  was  ordered  for 
the  family,  domestics,  and  overseers. 

Having  received  information  from  Alexandria,  that  the  militia,  freemasons, 
&c,  were  determined  to  show  their  respect  for  the  General's  memory,  by  attending 
his  body  to  the  grave,  I  directed  provision  to  be  prepared  for  a  large  number  of 
people,  as  some  refreshment  would  be  expected  by  them.  Mr.  Robert  Hamilton 
wrote  to  me  a  letter,  informing  me  that  a  schooner  of  his  would  be  off  Mount  Vernon 
to  fire  minute  guns,  while  the  body  was  carrying  to  the  grave.  I  gave  notice  of 
the  time  fixed  for  the  funeral  to  the  following  persons  by  Mrs.  Washington's  desire: 
namely,  Mr.  Mason  and  family,  Mr.  Peake  and  family,  Mr.  Nickols  and  family, 
Mr.  McCarty  and  family,  Miss  McCarty,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McClanahan,  Lord  Fairfax 
and  family,  Mr.  Triplet  and  family,  Mr.  Anderson  and  family,  Mr.  Diggs,  Mr. 
Cockburn  and  family,  Mr.  Massey  and  family,  and  Mr.  R.  West.  Wrote  also  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Davis  to  read  the  service. 

Tuesday,  December  17th.  Every  preparation  for  the  mournful  ceremony  was 
making.  Mr.  Stewart,  adjutant  of  the  Alexandria  regiment,  came  to  view  the 
ground  for  the  procession.  About  one  o'clock  the  coffin  was  brought  from  Alexan- 
dria.    Mr.  Grater  accompanied  it  with  a  shroud.     The  body  was  laid  in  the  coffin. 


*The  following  certificate  in  the  handwriting  of  Doctor  Craik  is  appended  to  the  above  portion 
of  Mr.  Lear's  narrative.  "Sunday,  December  15th.  The  foregoing  statement,  so  far  as  I  can 
recollect,  is  correct.     Jas.  Craik." 


OLD  AND  NEW  TOMBS  AT  MOUNT  VERNON. 


LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH  OP  WASHINGTON.  1 93 

The  mahogany  coffin  was  lined  with  lead,  soldered  at  the  joints,  with  a  cover  of 
lead  to  be  soldered  on  after  the  body  should  be  in  the  vault.  The  coffin  was  put 
into  a  case,  lined  and  covered  with  black  cloth. 

Wednesday,  December  i8th.  About  eleven  o'clock  numbers  of  people  began 
to  assemble  to  attend  the  funeral,  which  was  intended  to  have  been  at  twelve 
o'clock;  but,  as  a  great  part  of  the  troops  expected  could  not  get  down  in  time, 
it  did  not  take  place  till  three. 

Eleven  pieces  of  artillery  were  brought  from  Alexandria;  and  a  schooner 
belonging  to  Mr.  R.  Hamilton,  came  down  and  lay  off  Mount  Vernon  to  fire 
minute  guns. 

About  three  o'clock  the  procession  began  to  move.  The  arrangements  of  the 
procession  were  made  by  Colonels  Little,  Simms,  Deneale,  and  Dr.  Dick.  The 
pall-holders  were  Colonels  Little,  Payne,  Gilpin,  Ramsey,  and  Marsteller.  Colonel 
Blackburn  preceded  the  corpse.  Colonel  Deneale  marched  with  the  military. 
The  procession  moved  out  through  the  gate  at  the  left  wing  of  the  house,  and 
proceeded  round  in  front  of  the  lawn,  and  down  to  the  vault  on  the  right  wing  of 
the  house.     The  procession  as  follows : 

The  Troops,  horse  and  foot. 
The  Clergy,  namely,  the  Reverend  Messrs.  Davis,  Muir,  Maffitt,  and  Addison. 
The  General's  horse,  with  his  saddle,  holsters,  and  pistols,  led  by  two  grooms, 
Cyrus  and  Wilson,  in  black. 
The  body,  borne  by  the  Freemasons  and  Officers. 
Principal  Mourners,  namely, 
Mrs.  Stuart  and  Mrs.  Law, 
Misses  Nancy  and  Sally  Stuart, 
Miss  Fairfax  and  Miss  Dennison, 
Mr.  Law  and  Mr.  Peter, 
Mr.  Lear  and  Dr.  Craik, 
Lord  Fairfax  and  Ferdinando  Fairfax. 
Lodge  No.  22, 
Corporation  of  Alexandria. 
All  other  persons;  preceded  by  Mr.  Anderson  and  the  Overseers. 

When  the  body  arrived  at  the  vault,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Davis  read  the  service,  and 
pronounced  a  short  address. 

The  Masons  performed  their  ceremonies,  and  the  body  was  deposited  in  the 
vault. 

After  the  ceremony,  the  company  retimied  to  the  house,  where  they  took  some 
refreshment,  and  retired  in  good  order. 

Whatever  was  the  direct  cause  of  General  Washington's  death, 
there  can  be  little  doubt  that  excessive  bleeding  reduced  him  to  a  low- 
state  and  very  much  aggravated  his  disease.  According  to  Mr.  Lear, 
the  lancet  was  applied  three  times,  and  other  authorities  inform  us 
that  thirty-two  ounces  of  the  life-giving  fluid  was  taken  from  the 
General  in  the  last  application. 


194  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

The  subjoined  letter,  written  by  Doctor  Brown  only  a  few  days 
after  the  death  of  the  General,  shows  that  the  vile  practice  of  bleeding 
an  enfeebled  patient  was  a  subject  of  criticism  even  in  that  day,  and 
that  the  most  advanced  thinkers  in  the  medical  profession  were 
beginning  to  seriously  doubt  the  wisdom  of  such  treatment: 

DR.  BROWN  TO  DR.  CRAIK-JANUARY  2ND,  1800 

I  have  lately  met  Dr.  Dick  again  in  consultation,  and  the  high  opinion  I  formed 
of  him  when  we  were  in  conference  at  Alo'int  Vernon  last  month,  concerning  the 
situation  of  our  illustrious  friend,  has  been  confirmed.  You  remember  how,  by 
his  clear  reasoning  and  evident  knowledge  of  the  causes  of  certain  symptoms  after 
the  examination  of  the  General,  he  assined  us  that  it  was  not  really  quinsey,  which 
we  supposed  it  to  be,  but  a  violent  inflammation  of  the  membranes  of  the  throat, 
which  it  had  almost  closed,  and  which  if  not  immediately  arrested  would  result 
in  death.  You  must  remember  he  was  averse  to  bleeding  the  General,  and  I 
have  often  thought  that  if  we  had  acted  according  to  his  suggestion  when  he  said 
"he  needs  all  his  strength — bleeding  will  diminish  it,"  and  taken  no  more  blood 
from  him,  our  good  friend  might  have  been  alive  now.  But  we  were  governed  by 
the  best  hght  we  had;  we  thought  we  were  right,  and  so  we  were  justified. 

Dr.  Gustavb  R.  Brown. 

AUGUSTINE  WASHINGTON  AND  FAMILY 

Augustine  Washington,  son  of  Lawrence,  the  son  of  John  the 
Immigrant,  was  twice  married,  first  April  20,  17 15,  to  Jane  Butler, 
daughter  of  Colonel  Caleb  Butler  of  Westmoreland,  Virginia,  by 
whom  he  had  four  children : 

First,  Butler,  born  at  Wakefield,  Westmoreland  County,  Virginia,  17 16,  died 
young. 

Second,  Lawrence,  bom  at  Wakefield,  Westmoreland  County,  Virginia,  1718, 
married  Anne  Fairfax,  July  19,  1743,  died  at  Mount  Vernon  July  26,  1752;  buried 
at  Mount  Vernon. 

Third,  Augustine,  born  at  Wakefield,  Westmoreland  County,  Virginia,  1720; 
married  Ann  Aylett  in  1743;  died  at  Wakefield,  1760;  buried  at  Wakefield. 

Fourth,  Jane,  bom  at  Wakefield,  Westmoreland  County,  Virginia,  1722;  died 
January  17,  1735. 

Jane  Butler,  mother  of  these  children,  died  at  Wakefield,  November  24,  1728; 
buried  at  Wakefield: 

By  his  second  wife,  Mary  Ball,  daughter  of  Colonel  Joseph  Ball  of  Lancaster 
Coimty,  Virginia,  to  whom  he  was  married  March  17,  1731,  Augustine  Washington 
had  six  children: 

First,  George,  bom  at  Wakefield,  February  22,  1732;  married  the  widow  Custis, 
January  6,  1759;  died  at  Mount  Vernon,  December  14,  1799. 


LAST  DAYS  AND  DEATH  OF  WASHINGTON.  1 95 

Second,  Bettie,  bom  at  Wakefield,  June  20,  1733;  married  Colonel  Fielding 
Lewis;  died,  March  31,  1797.     Fielding  Lewis  died  at  Fredericksburg  in  1781. 

Third,  Samuel,  bom  at  Wakefield,  November  16,  1734;  married,  first  Jane 
Champe ;  second,  Mildred  Thornton ;  third,  Lucy  Chapman ;  fourth,  Anne  Aller ton ; 
fifth,  Susanna  Perrin;  died  at  Harewood,  Berkeley  County  (now  Jefferson  County), 
West  Virginia,  17S1;  buried  at  Harewood. 

Fourth,  John  Augustine,  born  at  Epsewasson  (now  Moimt  Vernon),  Fairfax 
County,  Virginia,  January  13,  1736;  married  Hannah  Bushrod;  died  at  Bushfield, 
on  Nomini  Creek,  Westmoreland  County,  Virginia,  February,  1787,  and  buried  at 
Bushfield. 

Fifth,  Charles,  bom  at  Epsewasson  (Mount  Vernon),  Fairfax  County,  Virginia, 
May  2,  1738;  married  Mildred  Thornton;  died  at  Mordington  near  Charlestown 
(now  West  Virginia),  in  1791. 

Sixth,  Mildred,  bom  at  Epsewasson  (Mount  Vernon),  Fairfax  County,  Virginia, 
June  21,  1739;  died  at  Ferry  Farm  on  the  Rappahannock  River  in  Stafford  County, 
October  23,  1740. 

Mary  Ball,  second  wife  of  Augustine,  died  at  Fredericksbiurg,  Virginia,  August 
25.  1789.  at  the  age  of  eighty  two  and  is  buried  at  that  place. 

Augustine,  father  of  these  children,  born  at  Wakefield  in  1694,  died  at  the 
Ferry  or  Pine  Grove  Farm  on  Rappahannock  River  in  Stafford  County,  opposite 
Fiedericksbm-g,  April  12,  1743;  buried  at  Wakefield. 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  CONGRESS  AND  TRIBUTES  TO 
THE  MEMORY  OF  WASHINGTON 

'np'HE  news  of  General  Washington's  death  did  not  reach 
the  seat  of  government  until  the  i8th,  the  day  of 
his  funeral,  and  was  at  first  generally  discredited, 
but,  upon  confirmation  by  letter  from  Mr.  Lear, 
Congress  immediately  adjourned  until  the  next  day, 
when  John  Marshall,  afterwards  Chief  Justice  of 
the  United  States  and  then  a  member  of  the  lower  body,  rose,  and 
"with  deep  sorrow  on  his  countenance,  in  a  low,  pathetic  tone 
addressed  the  House  as  follows:" 

The  melancholy  event  which  was  yesterday  announced  with  doubt  has  been 
rendered  but  too  certain.  Our  Washington  is  no  more!  the  hero,  the  patriot, 
and  the  sage  of  America;  .  .  .  the  man  on  whom  in  times  of  danger,  every  eye 
turned  and  all  hopes  were  placed  .  .  .  lives  now  only  in  his  own  great  actions, 
and  in  the  hearts  of  an  affectionate  and  aiHicted  people. 

If,  sir,  it  had  even  not  been  usual  openly  to  testify  respect  for  the  memory  of 
those  whom  heaven  has  selected  as  its  instruments  for  dispensing  good  to  man,  yet, 
such  has  been  the  uncommon  worth,  and  such  the  extraordinary  incidents  which 
have  marked  the  life  of  him  whose  loss  we  all  deplore,  that  the  whole  American 
nation,  impelled  by  the  same  feelings,  would  call,  with  one  voice,  for  a  public  mani- 
festation of  that  sorrow  which  is  so  deep  and  so  universal. 

More  than  any  other  individual,  and  as  much  as  to  one  individual  was  possible, 
has  he  contributed  to  found  this  our  wide  spreading  empire,  and  to  give  to  the 
western  world  independence  and  freedom. 

Having  affected  the  great  object  for  which  he  was  placed  at  the  head  of  our 
armies,  we  have  seen  him  convert  the  sword  into  the  ploughshare,  and  sink  the 
soldier  into  the  citizen. 

When  the  debility  of  our  federal  system  had  become  manifest,  and  the  bonds 
which  connected  this  vast  continent  were  dissolving,  we  have  seen  him  the  chief  of 
those  patriots  who  formed  for  us  a  constitution  which,  by  preserving  the  Union, 
will,  I  trust,  substantiate  and  perpetuate  those  blessings  which  our  revolution  had 
promised  to  bestow. 

In  obedience  to  the  general  voice  of  his  country  calling  him  to  preside  over  a 
great  people,  we  have  seen  hira  once  more  quit  the  retirement  he  loved,  and,  in 
a  season  more  stormy  and  tempestuous  than  war  itself,  with  calm  and  wise 
determination,  pursue  the  true  interests  of  the  nation,  and  contribute,  more  than 
any  other  could  contribute,  to  the  estabUshment  of  that  system  of  policy  which  will, 
I  trust,  yet  preserve  our  peace,  our  honor,  and  our  independence. 

197 


198  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

Ha\'ing  been  twice  unanimously  chosen  the  chief  magistrate  of  a  free  people, 
we  have  seen  him,  at  a  time  when  his  re-election  with  universal  suffrage  could  not 
be  doubted,  afford  to  the  world  a  rare  instance  of  moderation  by  withdrawing  from 
his  high  station  to  the  peaceful  walks  of  private  life. 

However  the  pubUc  confidence  may  change,  and  the  pubUc  affections  fluctuate 
with  respect  to  others,  with  respect  to  him,  they  have  in  war  and  in  peace,  in  public 
and  in  private  life,  been  as  steady  as  his  own  firm  mind,  and  as  constant  as  his  own 
exalted  virtues. 

Let  us  then,  Mr.  Speaker,  pay  the  last  tribute  of  respect  and  affection  to  our 
departed  friend.  Let  the  grand  council  of  the  nation  display  those  sentiments 
which  the  nation  feels.  For  this  purpose  I  hold  in  my  hand  some  resolutions  which 
I  take  the  Uberty  of  offering  to  the  house. 

The  resolutions,*  after  a  preamble  stating  the  death  of  General 
Washington,  were  in  the  following  terms: 

Resolved,  That  this  House  will  wait  on  the  President  in  condolence  of  this 
mournful  event; 

Resolved,  That  the  speaker's  chair  be  shrouded  with  black,  and  that  the  mem- 
bers and  officers  of  the  house  wear  black  during  the  session ; 

Resolved,  That  a  committee,  in  conjunction  with  one  from  the  Senate,  be 
appointed  to  consider  on  the  most  suitable  manner  of  paying  honor  to  the  memory 
of  the  Man,  first  in  war,  first  in  peace,  and  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  fellow  citizens; 

Resolved,  That  this  House,  when  it  adjourns,  do  adjourn  to  Monday. 

To  the  Speaker  and  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives 
who  waited  on  him,  in  conformity  to  the  first  resolution,  the  President 
expressed  and  exhibited  the  deepest  grief  and  affection  for  "the  most 
illustrious  and  beloved  personage  that  America  had  ever  produced." 

The  Senate  on  this  occasion  addressed  to  Mr.  Adams  the  following 
conimunication : 

23RD  OF  December,  1799. 

Sir  :  The  Senate  of  the  United  States  respectfully  take  leave,  sir,  to  express  to 
you  their  deep  regret  for  the  loss  their  country  sustains  in  the  death  of  General 
George  Washington. 

This  event  so  distressing  to  all  our  fellow  citizens,  must  be  pecuHarly  heavy  to 
you  who  have  long  been  associated  with  him  in  deeds  of  patriotism.  Permit  us,  sir, 
to  mingle  our  tears  with  yours.  On  this  occasion  it  is  manly  to  weep.  To  lose 
such  a  man,  at  such  a  crisis,  is  no  common  calamity  to  the  world.  Our  country 
mourns  a  father.  The  Almighty  disposer  of  human  events  has  taken  from  us  our 
greatest  benefactor  and  ornament.  It  becomes  us  to  submit  with  reverence  to 
Him  who  "maketh  darkness  his  pavilion." 


*These  resolutions  were  prepared  by  General  Lee,  who,  happening  not  to  be  in  his  place  when 
the  melancholy  inteUigence  was  received  and  first  mentioned  in  the  house,  placed  them  in  the 
hands  of  the  member  who  moved  them.     (Marshall's  "Life  of  Washington.") 


CHIEF  JUSTICE  JOHN  MARSHALL. 


TRIBUTES   TO   WASHINGTON.  1 99 

With  patriotic  pride,  we  review  the  Ufe  of  our  Washington,  and  compare  him 
with  those  of  other  countries  who  have  been  pre-eminent  in  fame.  Ancient  and 
modern  times  are  diminished  before  him.  Greatness  and  guile  have  too  often  been 
allied ;  but  his  fame  is  whiter  than  it  is  brilliant.  The  destroyers  of  nations  stood 
abashed  at  the  majesty  of  his  virtues.  It  reproved  the  intemperance  of  their  ambi- 
tion, and  darkened  the  splendor  of  victory.  The  scene  is  closed  and  we  are  no 
longer  anxious  lest  misfortune  should  sully  his  glory.  He  has  traveled  on  to  the 
end  of  his  journey  and  carried  with  him  an  increasing  weight  of  honor;  he  has  depos- 
ited it  safely  where  misfortune  cannot  tarnish  it;  where  maUce  cannot  blast  it. 
Favored  of  heaven,  he  departed  without  exhibiting  the  weakness  of  humanity; 
magnanimous  in  death,  the  darkness  of  the  grave  could  not  obscure  his  brightness. 

Such  was  the  man  whom  we  deplore.  Thanks  to  God,  his  glory  is  consum- 
mated. Washington  yet  hves  on  earth  in  his  spotless  example — his  spirit  is  in 
heaven. 

Let  his  countrymen  consecrate  the  memory  of  the  heroic  general,  the  patriotic 
statesman,  the  virtuous  sage :  let  them  teach  their  children  never  to  forget  that  the 
fruits  of  his  labors  and  his  example  are  their  inheritance. 

To  this  address,  on  December  23,  1799,  the  President  returned 
the  following  answer: 

Gentlemen  of  the  Senate  : 

I  receive,  with  the  most  respectful  and  affectionate  sentiments,  in  this  impres- 
sive address,  the  obliging  expressions  of  your  regret  for  the  loss  our  country  has 
sustained  in  the  death  of  her  most  esteemed,  beloved,  and  admired  citizen. 

In  the  multitude  of  ray  thoughts  and  recollections  on  this  melancholy  event, 
you  will  permit  me  to  say  that  I  have  seen  him  in  the  days  of  adversity,  in  some  of 
the  scenes  of  his  deepest  distress  and  most  trying  perplexities.  I  have  also  attended 
him  in  his  highest  elevation  and  most  prosperous  felicity,  with  uniform  admiration 
of  his  wisdom,  moderation  and  constancy. 

Among  all  our  original  associates  in  that  memorable  league  of  this  continent 
in  1774,  which  first  expressed  the  Sovereign  Will  of  a  Free  Nation  in  America, 
he  was  the  only  one  remaining  in  the  general  government.  Although  with  a  consti- 
tution more  enfeebled  than  his,  at  an  age  when  he  thought  it  necessary  to  prepare 
for  retirement,  I  feel  myself  alone,  bereaved  of  my  last  brother;  yet  I  derive  a 
strong  consolation  from  the  unanimous  disposition  which  appears  in  all  ages  and 
classes  to  mingle  their  sorrows  with  mine  on  this  common  calamity  to  the  world. 

The  life  of  our  Washington  cannot  suffer  by  a  comparison  with  those  of  other 
countries  who  have  been  most  celebrated  and  exalted  by  fame.  The  attributes  and 
decorations  of  royalty  could  only  have  served  to  ecUpse  the  majesty  of  those  virtues 
which  made  him,  from  being  a  modest  citizen,  a  more  resplendent  luminary.  Mis- 
fortune, had  he  Uved,  could  hereafter  have  sullied  his  glory  only  with  those  super- 
ficial minds,  who  believing  that  characters  and  actions  are  marked  by  success  alone, 
rarely  deserve  to  enjoy  it.  Malice  could  never  blast  his  honor,  and  envy  made  him 
a  singular  exception  to  her  universal  rule.  For  himself  he  had  lived  long  enough, 
to  life  and  to  glory ;  for  his  fellow  citizens,  if  their  prayers  could  have  been  answered, 
he  woidd  have  been  immortal;  for  me,  his  departure  is  at  a  most  unfortunate 


200  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND    THE    MASON. 

moment.  Trusting,  however,  in  the  wise  and  righteous  dominion  of  Providence 
over  the  passions  of  men,  and  the  results  of  their  councils  and  actions,  as  well  as 
over  their  hves,  nothing  remains  for  me  but  humble  resignation. 

His  example  is  now  complete;  and  it  will  teach  wisdom  and  virtue  to  magis- 
trates, citizens,  and  men,  not  only  in  the  present  age,  but  in  future  generations,  as 
long  as  our  history  shall  be  read.  If  a  Trajan  found  a  Pliny,  a  Marcus  Aurehus 
can  never  want  biographers,  eulogists,  or  historians. 

Immediately  after  the  receipt  of  Mr.  Adams'  letter,  Congress 
passed  the  following  joint  resolutions: 

December  23RD. 

Resolved,  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States  of 
America,  in  Congress  assembled.  That  a  marble  monument  be  erected  by  the  United 
States  at  the  Capitol  of  the  city  of  Washington,  and  that  the  family  of  General 
Washington  be  requested  to  permit  his  body  to  be  deposited  under  it,  and  that  the 
monument  be  so  designed  as  to  commemorate  the  great  events  of  his  militar)^  and 
political  life;  and  be  it  further 

Resolved,  That  there  be  a  funeral  procession  from  Congress  Hall  to  the  German 
Lutheran  Church,  in  memory  of  General  George  Washington,  on  Thursday  the  26th 
instant,  and  that  an  oration  be  prepared  at  the  request  of  Congress  to  be  delivered 
before  both  Houses  that  day;  and  that  the  President  of  the  Senate,  and  Speaker  of 
the  House  of  Representatives,  be  desired  to  request  one  of  the  members  of  Congress 
to  prepare  and  deliver  the  same ;  and  be  it  further 

Resolved,  That  it  be  recommended  to  the  people  of  the  United  States,  to  wear 
crepe  on  their  left  arm,  as  mourning,  for  thirty  days ;  and  be  it  further 

Resolved,  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be  requested  to  direct  a  copy 
of  these  resolutions  to  be  transmitted  to  Mrs.  Washington,  assming  her  of  the  pro- 
found respect  Congress  will  ever  bear  for  her  person  and  character,  of  their  condo- 
lence on  the  late  afflicting  dispensation  of  Providence ;  and  entreating  her  assent  to 
the  interment  of  the  remains  of  General  Washington  in  the  manner  expressed  in  the 
first  resolution. 

Resolved,  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be  requested  to  issue  his 
proclamation,  notifying  to  the  people  throughout  the  United  States  the  recom- 
mendation contained  in  the  third  resolution. 

December  30TH. 

Resolved,  That  it  be  recommended  to  the  people  of  the  United  States  to  assemble 
on  the  twenty-second  day  of  February  next,  in  such  numbers  and  manner  as  may 
be  convenient,  publicly  to  testify  their  grief  for  the  death  of  General  George  Wash- 
ington, by  suitable  eulogies,  orations  and  discourses,  or  by  pubhc  prayers;  and  be 
it  further 

Resolved,  That  the  President  be  requested  to  issue  a  proclamation  for  the 
purposes  of  carrying  the  foregoing  resolutions  into  effect. 

As  far  as  these  resolutions  would  admit  of  immediate  execution, 
they  were  promptly  carried  into  effect.  The  whole  nation  was 
wrapped  in  mourning  and  funeral  orations  were  pronounced  by  the 


HENRY  (LIGHT  HORSE  HARRY)  LEE. 


TRIBUTES  TO   WASHINGTON.  20I 

best  talent  throughout  the  country,  and  in  foreign  lands  unusual  trib- 
utes of  respect  were  paid  to  the  memory  of  America's  departed  hero. 
On  receiving  news  of  Washington's  death,  Napoleon,  then  First 
Consul  of  France,  issued  one  of  his  terse,  characteristic  orders  to 
the  army: 

Washington  is  dead.  This  great  man  fought  against  tyranny,  he  established 
the  liberty  of  his  country.  His  memory  will  always  be  dear  to  the  French  people, 
as  it  will  be  to  all  freemen  of  the  two  worlds ;  and  especially  to  French  soldiers,  who, 
like  him  and  the  American  soldiers,  have  combated  for  Uberty  and  equality. 

He  also  ordered  that  black  crepe  be  suspended  from  all  the  stand- 
ards and  flags  throughout  the  republic,  and  a  funeral  oration  in 
honor  of  the  deceased  hero  was  pronounced  by  M.  de  la  Fontaine, 
at  which  the  great  Napoleon  and  the  civil  and  military  authorities 
were  present. 

The  English  were  equally  prompt  in  public  manifestations  of 
respect.  The  flags  on  the  fleet  were  placed  at  half  mast,  symbols  of 
mourning  displayed  on  the  public  buildings,  and  the  greatest  states- 
men in  the  empire  paid  glowing  tribute  to  his  incomparable  worth. 

In  compliance  with  the  second  resolve,  "that  an  oration  be  pre- 
pared at  the  request  of  Congress  to  be  delivered  before  both  Houses," 
Congress,  on  Thursday  the  26th,  the  day  appointed,  under  escort 
of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Masons  of  Pennsylvania,  repaired  to  the 
German  Lutheran  Church,  where  General  Henry  (Light-horse  Harry) 
Lee,  representative  from  Washington's  own  district  in  Virginia,  who 
had  been  selected  for  the  purpose,  delivered  his  celebrated  oration. 
It  was  an  effort  so  chaste  and  beautiful  that  one  of  its  phrases,  "first 
in  war,  first  in  peace,  and  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  country^men, "  has 
been  deemed  sufficient  encomium  for  the  epitaph  of  this  great  man. 

FUNERAL  ORATION  ON  THE  DEATH  OF  GENERAL  WASHINGTON: 
DELIVERED  AT  THE  REQUEST  OF  CONGRESS.  BY  MAJOR  GENERAL 
HENRY  LEE,  MEMBER  OF  CONGRESS  FROM  VIRGINIA. 

In  obedience  to  your  will,  I  rise,  your  humble  organ,  with  the  hope  of  executing 
a  part  of  the  system  of  public  mourning  which  you  have  been  pleased  to  adopt, 
commemorative  of  the  death  of  the  most  illustrious  and  most  beloved  personage 
this  country  has  ever  produced;  and  which,  while  it  transmits  to  posterity  your 
sense  of  the  awful  event,  faintly  represents  your  knowledge  of  the  consummate  excel- 
lence you  so  cordially  honor. 

Desperate  indeed  is  any  attempt  on  earth  to  meet  correspondently  this  dis- 
pensation of  Heaven;  for,  while  with  pious  resignation  we  submit  to  the  will  of  an 
aU-gracious  Providence,  we  can  never  cease  lamenting,  in  our  finite  view  of  Omnipo- 


n...M   THE  MAN   AND  THE   MASON. 
WASHINGTON   THE   main 

2  02  "  ^^^  weeps     When  the 

of  men.     An  enu,  ^^       +  „f  tVip  human  mind,     ue  suiy  „j  tViroughout  the 

earth,  and  by  the  ^^^JJ^""^^  the  affections  ^^^^^/^^^^.^^^rf  existing 
growing  knowledge  of  our  cnu  ^^^^  ^^^y.  ^^en  ^^^'J'  ^rished, 

world;  and  ^^^^ -^e^^to-gandfar-sprea^^^^^^^^^  ^ue 

shall  be  nomore,  when  eve  y      ^^^^^  ^^^_  ^^^  die  not,  un 

Will  you  go  with  tne  to^^^^^  ^^^  ^^  j^dian  ^actory,  the  ^^^^^^  ^ 

W^SHXKO.OK  supporun^  -J^^Tand  by  his  valor,  the  remans  o^^^^^^^  ^^^^^ 
dock,  and  sav-g.  by  h  s  3udgm  ^^^^^^  ^^^  ,^^'/^XtsT"  as  elevated  by  the 
army,  pressed  by  the  conq  ^^  ^^  ^^^^^^d  nghts.  ne  ^^^^  ^^ 

resolving  to  nsk  ^^  aU^^f  ,  the  command  of  ^^  Annie^^  J^^^^^         ^^^^^^3 
unanimous  voice  of  Congress  ^^  ^^  ^ndisciplmed  ^^  Jd  the  mvincibihty 

to  the  high  grounds  of  Boston  ^^      ^^^^_  ^^//^^'"^  'fLong  Island, 

yeomanry,  his  P-^^  ^  j:^^-^  ^^  ^"^  '"^  ^"^tnTSant  ar^s.  aided 
of  love  of  -untxy?  O  shaU  ;;;y^^^,,,i,g  ^"STfame  he  ood  the  bulwark 
York  Island,  and  New  J^^^fy-        ^   ^^^  in  the  roll  of  fame,  ^^^  st  ,  ^ 

by  powerful  ^^^'-^^^;^%tilJ,  unchanged  by  change jj  ^    ^^  -^^..^.g 
of  our  safety,  undismayed  Dy  Trenton,  where  ^^fP  f  °     ^^ded  ranks, 

you  view  him  in  t^X^n,  though  our  thinned.  -^  ^-^  ^^j  ^,,er- 
every  arm.  reigned  tnump  ^^^  ^^^^     ^^  Tv,  tatL^.  fo^^ade  the  ap- 

bimself  unmoved^  ,^^;Xware  ^^^^^^  ^^      ly  with  flo-^-^^^^^^,,  3eene.    His 
the  storm  raged— the  uei  ^j.^oUected.  viewed  the  uem 

country  called,  unappaue      ,      ^,^g  sun  cheered  the  Ml  „icted,  m 

he  fouihf.  l" '-f,::^,,  Jfherd.unt,essch,e«pursuu.gh.sblo«,c 

country  rose  on  the  eveni, 


TRIBUTES  TO   WASHINGTON.  203 

the  lawns  of  Princeton,  what  his  vast  soul  had  conceived  on  the  shores  of  the 
Delaware. 

Thence  to  the  strong  grounds  of  IMorristown  he  led  his  small  but  gallant  band ; 
and  through  an  eventful  winter,  by  the  high  efforts  of  his  genius,  whose  matchless 
force  was  measurable  only  by  the  growth  of  difficulties,  he  held  in  check  formidable 
hostile  legions,  conducted  by  a  chief  experienced  in  the  art  of  war,  and  famed  for 
his  valor  on  the  ever-memorable  heights  of  Abraham,  where  fell  Wolfe,  Montcalm, 
and  since,  our  much-lamented  Montgomery,  all  covered  with  glory.  In  this  fortu- 
nate interval,  produced  by  his  masterly  conduct,  our  fathers,  ourselves,  animated 
by  his  resistless  example,  raUied  around  our  coimtry's  standard,  and  continued  to 
follow  her  beloved  chief  through  the  various  and  trying  scenes  to  which  the  destinies 
of  our  union  led. 

Who  is  there  that  has  forgotten  the  vales  of  Brandywine — the  fields  of  German- 
town — or  the  plains  of  Monmouth?  Ever^-where  present,  wants  of  every  kind 
obstructing,  numerous  and  vaUant  armies  encountering,  himself  a  host,  he  assuaged 
our  sufferings,  limited  our  privations,  and  upheld  our  tottering  republic.  Shall  I 
display  to  you  the  spread  of  fire  of  his  soul,  by  rehearsing  the  praises  of  the  Hero 
of  Saratoga,  and  his  much-loved  compeer  of  the  CaroUnas?  No;  our  Washington 
wears  not  borrowed  glory.  To  Gates^to  Green,  he  gave  without  reserve  the 
applause  due  to  their  eminent  merit;  and  long  may  the  chiefs  of  Saratoga  and  of 
Eutaws  receive  the  grateful  respect  of  a  grateful  people. 

Moving  in  his  own  orbit,  he  imparted  heat  and  light  to  his  most  distant  satel- 
lites; and  combining  the  physical  and  moral  force  of  all  within  his  sphere,  with 
irresistible  weight  he  took  his  course,  commiserating  folly,  disdaining  vice,  dismaying 
treason,  and  invigorating  despondency;  until  the  auspicious  hour  arrived,  when, 
united  with  the  intrepid  forces  of  a  potent  and  magnanimous  ally,  he  brought  to 
submission  the  since  conqueror  of  India ;  thus  finishing  his  long  career  of  military 
glory  with  a  luster  corresponding  to  his  great  name,  and  in  this  his  last  act  of  war, 
affixing  the  seal  of  fate  to  our  nation's  birth. 

To  the  horrid  din  of  battle,  sweet  peace  succeeded;  and  our  virtuous  Chief, 
mindful  only  of  the  common  good,  in  a  moment  tempting  personal  aggrandizement, 
hushed  the  discontents  of  growing  sedition;  and,  surrendering  his  power  into  the 
hands  from  which  he  had  received  it,  converted  his  sword  into  a  ploughshare, 
teaching  an  admiring  world  that  to  be  truly  great,  you  must  be  truly  good. 

Were  I  to  stop  here,  the  picture  would  be  incomplete,  and  the  task  imposed 
unfinished.  Great  as  was  our  Washington  in  war,  and  as  much  as  did  that  great- 
ness contribute  to  produce  the  American  Republic,  it  is  not  in  war  alone  his  pre- 
eminence stands  conspicuous.  His  various  talents,  combining  all  the  capacities  of 
a  statesman  with  those  of  a  soldier,  fitted  him  ahke  to  guide  the  councils  and  the 
armies  of  our  nation.  Scarcely  had  he  rested  from  his  martial  toils,  while  his 
invaluable  parental  advice  was  still  sounding  in  our  ears,  when  he  who  had  been  our 
shield  and  our  sword,  was  called  forth  to  act  a  less  splendid  but  more  important  part. 

Possessing  a  clear  and  penetrating  mind,  a  strong  and  sound  judgment,  calm- 
ness and  temper  for  deliberation,  with  invincible  firmness  and  perseverance  in 
resolutions  maturely  formed,  drawing  information  from  all,  acting  from  himself 
with  incorruptible  integrity  and  unvarying  patriotism:  his  own  superiority  and 


204  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

the  public  confidence  alike  marked  him  as  the  man  designed  by  Heaven  to  lead 
in  the  great  political  as  well  as  military  events  which  have  distinguished  the  era 
of  his  life. 

The  finger  of  an  over-ruling  Providence,  pointing  at  Washington,  was  neither 
mistaken  nor  unobserved;  when,  to  reaUze  the  vast  hopes  to  which  our  revolution 
had  given  birth,  a  change  of  poUtical  system  became  indispensable.  How  novel, 
how  grand  the  spectacle !  Independent  states  stretched  over  an  immense  territory, 
and  known  only  by  common  difiiculty,  clinging  to  their  union  as  the  rock  of  their 
safety,  deciding  by  frank  comparison  of  their  relative  conditions,  to  rear  on  that 
rock,  imder  the  guidance  of  reason,  a  common  government,  through  whose  com- 
manding protection  hberty  and  order,  with  their  long  train  of  blessings,  should  be 
safe  to  themselves,  and  the  sure  inheritance  of  their  posterity. 

This  arduous  task  devolved  on  citizens  selected  by  the  people,  from  knowledge 
of  their  wisdom  and  confidence  in  their  virtue.  In  this  august  assembly  of  sages 
and  of  patriots,  Washington  of  course  was  found;  and,  as  if  acknowledged  to  be 
most  wise,  where  all  were  wise,  with  one  voice  he  was  declared  their  chief.  How 
well  he  merited  this  rare  distinction,  how  faithful  were  the  labors  of  himself  and 
his  compatriots,  the  work  of  their  hands  and  our  union,  strength  and  prosperity, 
the  fruits  of  that  work,  best  attest. 

But  to  have  essentially  aided  in  presenting  to  his  country  this  consummation 
of  her  hopes,  neither  satisfied  the  claims  of  his  feUow-citizens  on  his  talents,  nor 
those  duties  which  the  possession  of  those  talents  imposed.  Heaven  had  not  infused 
into  his  mind  such  an  uncommon  share  of  its  ethereal  spirit  to  remain  unemployed, 
nor  bestowed  on  him  his  genius  unaccompanied  with  the  corresponding  duty  of 
devoting  it  to  the  common  good.  To  have  framed  a  constitution  was  showing 
only,  without  reaUzing  the  general  happiness.  This  great  work  remained  to  be 
done;  and  America,  steadfast  in  her  preference,  with  one  voice  summoned  her 
beloved  Washington,  unpractised  as  he  was  in  the  duties  of  civil  administration, 
to  execute  this  last  act  in  the  completion  of  the  national  felicity.  Obedient  to  her 
call,  he  assumed  the  high  office  with  that  self-distrust  pecuUar  to  his  innate  modesty, 
the  constant  attendant  of  pre-eminent  virtue.  What  was  the  burst  of  joy  through 
our  anxious  land  on  this  exhilarating  event,  is  known  to  us  all.  The  aged,  the  young, 
the  brave,  the  fair,  rivalled  each  other  in  demonstrations  of  their  gratitude ;  and 
tliis  high  wrought,  delightful  scene,  was  heightened  in  its  effect  by  the  singular 
contest  between  the  zeal  of  the  bestowers  and  avoidance  of  the  receiver  of  the 
honors  bestowed.  Commencing  his  administration,  what  heart  is  not  charmed 
with  the  recollection  of  the  pure  and  wise  principles  announced  by  himself  as  the 
basis  of  his  poUtical  hfe!  He  best  understood  the  indissoluble  union  between 
virtue  and  happiness,  between  duty  and  advantage,  between  the  genuine  maxims 
of  an  honest  and  magnanimous  policy,  and  the  soUd  rewards  of  public  prosperity 
and  individual  felicity;  watching  with  an  equal  and  comprehensive  eye  over  this 
great  assemblage  of  commimities  and  interests,  he  laid  the  foundations  of  our 
national  poUcy  in  the  unerring,  immutable  principles  of  moraUty,  based  on  religion, 
exemplifying  the  pre-eminence  of  a  free  government,  by  all  the  attributes  which 
win  the  affections  of  its  citizens,  or  command  the  respect  of  the  world. 

"O  fortunati  nimium,  sua  si  bona  norint!" 


TRIBUTES  TO  WASHINGTON.  205 

Leading  through  the  compUcated  difficulties  produced  by  previous  obligations 
and  conflicting  interests,  seconded  by  succeeding  Houses  of  Congress,  enlightened 
and  patriotic,  he  surmounted  all  original  obstruction,  and  brightened  the  path  of 
our  national  feUcity. 

The  presidential  term  expiring,  his  solicitude  to  exchange  exaltation  for  humility 
returned  with  a  force  increased  with  the  increase  of  age;  and  he  had  prepared  his 
Farewell  Address  to  his  countrymen,  proclaiming  his  intention,  when  the  united 
interposition  of  all  around  him,  enforced  by  the  eventful  prospects  of  the  epoch, 
produced  a  further  sacrifice  of  incUnation  to  duty.  The  election  of  President 
followed,  and  Washington,  by  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  nation,  was  called  to 
resume  the  chief  Magistracy.  What  a  wonderful  fixture  of  confidence!  Which 
attracts  most  our  admiration,  a  people  so  correct  or  a  citizen  combining  an  assem- 
blage of  talents  forbidding  rivalry,  and  stifling  even  envy  itself?  Such  a  nation 
ought  to  be  happy;  such  a  chief  must  be  forever  revered! 

War,  long  menaced  by  the  Indian  tribes,  now  broke  out ;  and  the  terrible  con- 
flict, deluging  Europe  with  blood,  began  to  shed  its  baneful  influence  over  our  happy 
land.  To  the  first,  outstretching  his  in\-incible  arm,  under  the  orders  of  the  gallant 
Wayne,  the  American  Eagle  soared  triumphant  through  distant  forests.  Peace 
followed  victory,  and  the  meUoration  of  the  condition  of  the  enemy  followed  peace. 
Godlike  virtue,  which  uplifts  even  the  subdued  savage! 

To  the  second  he  opposed  himself.  New  and  dehcate  was  the  conjtmcture,  and 
great  was  the  stake.  Soon  did  his  penetrating  mind  discern  and  seize  the  only 
course,  continuing  to  us  all  the  felicity  enjoj-ed.  He  issued  his  proclamation  of 
neutraUty.  This  index  to  his  whole  subsequent  conduct  was  sanctioned  by  the 
approbation  of  both  Houses  of  Congress,  and  by  the  approving  voice  of  the  people. 

To  this  sublime  policy  he  invariably  adhered,  unmoved  by  foreign  intrusion, 
unshaken  by  domestic  turbulence. 

"Justum  et  tenacem  propositi  virum, 
Non  civium  ardor  prava  jubentium, 
Non  vultus  instantis  tyrauni, 
Mente  quatit  solida." 

Maintaining  his  pacific  system  at  the  expense  of  no  duty,  America,  faithful  to 
herself,  and  unstained  in  her  honor,  continued  to  enjoy  the  delights  of  peace,  while 
afflicted  Europe  mourns  in  every  quarter  under  the  accumulated  miseries  of  an 
unexampled  war;  miseries  in  which  our  happy  country  must  have  shared,  had  not 
our  pre-eminent  Washington  been  as  firm  in  council  as  he  was  brave  in  the  field. 

Pursuing  steadfastly  his  course,  he  held  safe  the  pubhc  happiness,  preventing 
foreign  war,  and  quelling  internal  discord,  till  the  revolving  period  of  a  third  election 
approached,  when  he  executed  his  interrupted  but  inextinguishable  desire  of  return- 
ing to  the  humble  walks  of  private  life. 

The  promulgation  of  his  fixed  resolution,  stopped  the  anxious  wishes  of  an 
affectionate  people  from  adding  a  third  unanimous  testimonial  of  their  unabated 
confidence  in  the  man  so  long  enthroned  in  their  hearts.  WTien  before  was  affection 
like  this  exhibited  on  earth?  Turn  over  the  records  of  ancient  Greece — review  the 
annals  of  mighty  Rome — examine  the  volumes  of  modem  Europe — you  search  in 
vain!    America  and  her  Washington  only  afford  the  dignified  exemplification. 


2o6  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

The  illustrious  personage  called  by  the  national  voice  in  succession  to  the  ardu- 
ous office  of  guiding  a  free  people,  had  new  difficulties  to  encounter.  The  amicable 
effort  of  settling  our  difficulties  with  France,  begun  by  Washington,  and  pursued 
by  his  successor  in  virtue  as  in  station,  proving  abortive,  America  took  measures  of 
self-defence.  No  sooner  was  the  pubUc  mind  roused  by  a  prospect  of  danger,  than 
every  eye  was  turned  to  the  friend  of  all,  though  secluded  from  public  view  and  grey 
in  the  public  service.  The  virtuous  veteran,  following  his  plough,  received  the 
unexpected  summons  with  mingled  emotions  of  indignation  at  the  unmerited  ill- 
treatment  of  his  country,  and  of  a  determination  once  more  to  risk  his  all  in  her 
defence. 

The  annunciation  of  these  feelings,  in  his  affecting  letter  to  the  President, 
accepting  the  command  of  the  army,  concludes  his  official  conduct. 

First  in  War,  First  in  Peace,  and  First  in  the  Hearts  of  his  Country- 
men, he  was  second  to  none  in  the  humble  and  endearing  scenes  of  private  life. 
Pious,  just,  humane,  temperate,  and  sincere ;  uniform,  dignified,  and  commanding, 
his  example  was  edifying  to  all  around  him,  as  were  the  effects  of  that  example 
lasting. 

To  his  equals  he  was  condescending;  to  his  inferiors  kind;  and  to  the  dear 
object  of  his  affections  exemplarily  tender.  Correct  throughout,  vice  shuddered  in 
his  presence,  and  virtue  always  felt  his  fostering  hand;  the  purity  of  his  private 
character  gave  effulgence  to  his  public  virtues. 

His  last  scene  comported  with  the  whole  tenor  of  his  Ufe.  Although  in  extreme 
pain,  not  a  sigh,  not  a  groan  escaped  him ;  and  with  undisturbed  serenity  he  closed 
his  well-spent  life.  Such  was  the  man  America  has  lost!  Such  was  the  man  for 
whom  our  nation  mourns ! 

Methinks  I  see  his  august  image,  and  hear  falling  from  his  venerable  hps  these 
deep-sinking  words: 

"Cease,  Sons  of  America,  lamenting  our  separation.  Go  on,  and  confirm 
by  your  wisdom  the  fruits  of  your  joint  councils,  joint  efforts,  and  common  dangers. 
Reverence  religion,  diffuse  knowledge  throughout  your  land;  patronize  the  arts  and 
sciences;  let  liberty  and  order  be  inseparable  companions;  control  party  spirit,  the 
bane  of  free  government ;  observe  good  faith  to,  and  cultivate  peace  with  all  nations ; 
shut  up  every  avenue  to  foreign  influence;  contract  rather  than  extend  national 
connection;  rely  on  yourselves  only — be  American  in  thought,  word  and  deed. 
Thus  will  you  give  immortality  to  that  union  which  was  the  constant  object  of  my 
terrestrial  labors.  Thus  will  you  preserve,  undisturbed  to  the  latest  posterity, 
the  felicity  of  a  people  to  me  most  dear;  and  thus  will  you  supply  (if  my  happiness 
is  now  aught  to  you)  the  only  vacancy  in  the  roimd  of  pure  bliss  high  Heaven 
bestows." 

The  first  resolution,  adopted  by  Congress  on  December  23, 
"that  a  marble  monument  be  erected  by  the  United  States  at  the 
Capitol  cf  the  City  of  Washington,  etc,"  was  only  partly  carried  out. 

In  her  reply  to  President  Adams'  communication,  requesting 
permission  to  move  the  body  of  the  General,  Mrs.  Washington  wrote: 


TRIBUTES  TO   WASHINGTON.  207 

Taught  by  the  great  example,  which  I  have  so  long  had  before  me,  never  to 
oppose  my  private  wishes  to  the  pubHc  will,  I  must  consent  to  the  request  made  by 
Congress  which  you  have  the  goodness  to  transmit  to  me ;  and  in  doing  this,  I  need 
not,  I  cannot  say,  what  a  sacrifice  of  individual  feeling  I  make  to  a  sense  of  pubhc 
duty. 

At  this  stage  of  the  proceedings  the  matter  rested,  and  no  further 
important  action  w^as  taken  for  a  number  of  years. 

During  Mr.  Mom-oe's  administration,  a  crypt  was  erected  under 
the  Capitol  for  the  remains  of  both  the  General  and  his  wife,  but  not 
in  conformity  with  the  designs  of  the  resolution  of  1799.  In  1832 
a  final  effort  was  made  to  carry  out  the  provisions  of  the  original 
resolve. 

A  resolution  to  this  effect,  offered  by  Mr.  Thomas  of  Louisiana, 
February  13  of  that  year,  was  opposed  by  some  of  the  representa- 
tives from  Virginia  as  contrary  to  the  expressed  wish  of  General 
Washington  in  his  will,  but  was  nevertheless  adopted  by  a  substantial 
majority,  and  measures  were  taken  to  carry  it  into  effect  on  the  22nd 
of  the  same  month,  which  was  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the 
birth  of  Washington.  Mr.  Thompson's  resolution,  however,  applied 
only  to  the  remains  of  the  General,  whereas  it  was  shown  by  record 
that  it  was  the  distinct  understanding  between  Mrs.  Washington 
and  President  Adams  that  her  remains  should  accompany  those  of 
her  husband  wherever  the  latter  might  lie.  This  reservation  created 
the  necessity  of  securing  the  consent  of  other  parties,  and  on  the  i6th 
of  February,  on  motion  of  Mr.  Clay,  the  Senate  proceeded  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  following  joint  resolution  from  the  House: 

Resolved  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives,  That  the  President  of 
the  Senate  and  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives  be  hereby  authorized 
to  make  application  to  John  A.  Washington,  of  Mount  Vernon,  and  to  George  W. 
P.  Custis,  grandson  of  Mrs.  Washington,  for  the  remains  of  Martha  Washington  to 
be  removed  and  deposited  in  the  Capitol  at  Washington  City,  at  the  same  time  with 
those  of  her  late  consort,  George  Washington,  and  if  leave  be  obtained,  to  take 
measures  accordingly. 

This  last  effort  to  have  the  remains  of  the  illustrious  citizen 
deposited  beneath  the  Capitol  also  failed,  and  they  are  yet  within  the 
area  marked  out  for  them  by  that  great  man  while  living,  and  where, 
among  his  kindred,  according  to  the  words  of  his  will,  no  doubt  it  was 
his  desire  that  they  should  for  ever  repose. 

The  wiU  of  General  Washington  was  presented  in  open  cotul, 
Fairfax  County,  by  George  Steptoe  Washington,  Samuel  Washington, 
and  Lawrence  Lewis,  three  of  the  executors  named  in  the  instrument, 


2o8  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN    AND   THE    MASON. 

January  20,  1800,  and  being  proved  by  Charles  Simms,  Charles 
Little,  and  Ludwell  Lee  (son  of  Richard  Henry  Lee)  to  be  in  the 
handwriting  of  the  testator,  it  was  duly  probated. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  Honorable  J.  B.  T.  Thornton,  present 
judge  of  the  Sixteenth  Judicial  District  of  Virginia,  in  which  circuit 
Fairfax  County  is  located,  and  at  the  county  seat  of  which  the  original 
will  is  deposited,  we  publish  for  the  first  time  (see  Appendix  i)  a 
photographic  copy  of  that  interesting  document. 

In  1853  Alfred  Moss  (now  deceased),  then  clerk  of  the  County 
Court  of  Fairfax,  secured  permission  from  the  legislature  of  Virginia 
to  have  the  will  lithographed,  but  for  some  unknown  cause  this  was 
never  done  and  until  now  it  has  never  been  published  in  this  manner. 

In  July,  1 86 1,  when  the  Confederate  Army  fell  back  from  Fair- 
fax Court  House,  Mr.  Moss  carefully  enveloped  the  will,  endorsing 
thereon : 

The  original  will  of 

Generai^  George  Washington 

Belongs  to  the  records  of  Fairfax  County  Court  to  be  returned  to  me  or  any  one 
legally  authorized  to  receive  it. 

(Signed)         Alfred  Moss, 

Clerk,  Fairfax  County  Court. 

The  will,  with  numerous  other  court  records,  was  then  carried  to 
Richmond,  Virginia,  and  deposited  with  George  W.  Mumford,  Esq., 
at  that  time  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth,  where  it  remained  until 
the  summer  of  1865.  Mr.  O.  W.  Hunt,  who  had  been  selected  by  the 
County  Court  of  Fairfax  to  recover,  if  possible,  the  lost  documents, 
received  it  from  Mr.  Lewis,  the  successor  of  Mr.  Mumford,  who 
stated  that  after  the  evacuation  of  Richmond  by  the  Confederates  the 
will  had  been  found  on  the  floor  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  his  office, 
among  the  papers  lying  scattered  by  Federal  soldiers.  Mr.  Hunt 
returned  the  will  with  other  records  to  the  county. 

A  few  years  ago,  the  services  of  a  manuscript  expert  from  the 
National  Library  of  Congress  were  secured  to  restore,  if  possible,  the 
precious  manuscript  in  question.  This  was  accomplished  by  facing 
and  backing  each  sheet  with  transparent  silk  gauze  and  so  skilfully 
was  the  work  performed  that  the  dotted  lines  across  the  writing  are 
to  the  casual  observer  the  only  visible  signs  of  the  workmanship. 
The  faded  lines  were  strengthened,  the  worn  and  ragged  paper  straight- 
ened, the  accumulation  of  dust  and  dirt  removed  from  the  paper  with 
such  perfect  success  that  the  dilapidated  instrument  was  given  the 


J 


TRIBUTES  TO  WASHINGTON.  209 

appearance  of  a  new  document,  after  whicli  it  was  carefully  deposited 
in  a  steel  case,  safely  embedded  in  the  walls  of  the  building  and,  while 
visible  through  a  glass  panel,  is  otherwise  inaccessible  to  the  public. 

The  illustration  shows  the  ancient  building  of  this  historic  county 
seat  as  it  is  to-day  and  as  it  was  no  doubt  a  hundred  years  ago. 
Located  in  a  beautiful  undulating  country,  it  has  been  directly  asso- 
ciated with  some  of  the  most  famous  men  and  thrilling  events  in  the 
history  of  our  nation.  It  stands  near  the  scene  of  the  first  desperate 
conflict  in  the  war  between  the  states;  indeed,  the  first  actual  engage- 
ment on  Virginia  soil,  in  which  human  life  was  sacrificed,  took  place 
within  the  confines  of  this  little  village.  Lined  up  on  the  court-house 
yard,  on  the  first  day  of  June,  1861,  the  Warrenton  Rifles  engaged  a 
reconnoitering  party  of  McDowell's  army,  and  eight  hundred  feet  to 
the  right  of  the  monument,  as  viewed  in  the  illustration,  Colonel 
John  O.  Marr,  their  gallant  commander,  fell.  This  was  the  prelude 
to  the  terrific  struggle  which  followed  a  few  weeks  later  at  Bull  Run 
(only  a  few  miles  away),  July  21,  1861. 

The  old  court  records  and  dust-brown  parchments  in  the  archives 
of  the  old-time  court  constitute  a  veritable  storehouse  of  history. 
In  a,ddition  to  the  wills  of  General  Washington  and  his  wife,  we  find 
recorded  there,  also,  the  last  wills  and  testaments  of  Lawrence,  Bush- 
rod,  Edward,  Lund,  John  Augustine*  and  several  others  of  the  Wash- 
ington family,  as  well  as  that  of  George  Mason,  William  and  Lord 
Bry-an  Fairfax,  the  Lees,  the  Johnstons,  the  McCartys  and  numerous 
others  whose  names  have  become  familiar  to  the  readers  of  our 
country's  history.  Among  those  who  served  the  court  as  justices  in 
its  early  history  were  William  and  George  William  Fairfax,  George 
Washington,  Lewis  Ellzey,  Charles  Broadwater,  John  West,  George 
Mason  and  Daniel  McCarty,  all  of  whom  were  intimate  associates 
and  neighbors  of  General  Washington. 

The  human  side  of  some  of  our  venerated  patriots  is  suggested 
by  the  entries  in  the  minute  books  and  faded  records.  Under  date  of 
May  21,  1760,  the  following  report  of  the  Grand  Jury  is  recorded, 
which  strongly  indicates  the  impartial  justice  and  fidelity  of  the 
county  ofiicials  of  that  day : 

We  present,  George  William  Fairfax,  George  Washington,  John  Carlyle, 
Daniel  French,  Robert  Bogges,  Catesby  Cocke,  Townsend  Dade,  Subhill  West, 
Gerard  Alexander,  Jemima  Minor,  William  Ramsay,  Benjamin  Grayson,  George 

*The  last  private  owner  of  Mt.  A'ernon. 


2IO  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

Mason,  etc.,  for  not  entering  their  wheel  carriages  (for  taxation)  agreeable  to  law, 
as  appears  to  us  by  the  list  delivered  to  the  Clerk  of  the  Court. 

No  record  is  made  of  the  penalty  imposed  for  the  offence  against 
the  Commonwealth  by  these  fathers  of  our  country. 

Dining  the  late  Civil  War  the  will  of  Mrs.  Martha  Washington, 
the  inventory  or  appraisement  of  the  General's  estate  and  many  other 
official  papers  were  carried  away,  and  most  of  these  valuable  docu- 
ments have  never  been  recovered. 

The  original  manuscript  will  of  Mrs.  Washington  is  said  to  be  in 
possession  of  Mr.  J.  Pierpont  Morgan,  while  the  inventory  referred  to 
is  owned  by  Mr.  Wm.  K.  Bixby  of  St.  Louis,  who  kindly  permitted 
the  writer  to  copy  it  for  this  work.  We  understand  that  prelimi- 
nary steps  have  been  recently  taken  by  the  court  officials  of  Fair- 
fax County  to  recover  the  will,  if  possible,  and  restore  it  to  its 
former  place  among  the  records  where  it  belongs.  ' 


O 

w 
< 

w 

< 

Q 

o 
o 


O 


< 


MRS.   MARTHA  WASHINGTON,   HER   CHILDREN 
AND  GRANDCHILDREN 

[RS.  AlARTHA  WASHINGTON,  wife  of  the  General, 
was  the  eldest  child  of  Colonel  John  and  Frances 
Jones  Dandridge,  of  New  Kent  County,  Virginia.  Her 
parents  were  married  July  22,  1730.  The  early  death 
of  her  mother  placed  Martha  at  the  head  of  her 
father's  household  when  but  a  child  in  years.  Colonel 
Dandridge  married  a  second  wife,  Fanny  Taylor,  of  Henrico  County, 
who  survived  her  husband  many  years.  He  died  in  Fredericksburg, 
Virginia,  August  21,  1756,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  and  is  buried  at  that 
place. 

Mrs.  Washington's  stepmother  was  a  woman  of  rehgious  char- 
acter, who,  by  her  gentle  manner  and  amiable  disposition,  won  and 
maintained  the  affection  of  her  husband's  children  throughout  her  life. 
As  late  as  1773  General  Washington  urged  Mrs.  Dandridge  to  make 
Mount  Vernon  her  permanent  home,  and  the  children  of  Colonel  John 
by  his  first  wife  always  referred  to  her  as  "our  dear  mother." 

Martha  Dandridge  is  described  in  early  youth  as  being  small  of 
stature,  with  light  brown  hair  and  hazel  eyes.  At  the  age  of  seventeen 
she  married  Colonel  Daniel  Parke  Custis,  a  wealthy  young  planter  of 
her  native  county. 

The  first  matrimonial  alliance  of  Martha  Dandridge,  like  that  of 
her  second,  possessed  some  of  the  elements  of  romance.  Honorable 
John  Custis,  father  of  Colonel  Daniel,  had  arranged  with  Colonel 
William  Byrd  of  Westover  for  the  marriage  of  his  son  to  Colonel 
Byrd's  daughter  Evelyn,  a  celebrated  colonial  beauty.  This,  how- 
ever, did  not  meet  with  the  approval  of  young  Custis,  who  preferred 
to  select  his  own  matrimonial  partner.  Miss  Byrd,  tradition  informs 
us,  was  also  otherwise  incHned,  and  being  attached  to  a  young  English 
nobleman,  she  would  not  submit  to  her  father's  pre-nuptial  arrange- 
ment. The  senior  Custis  finally  yielded  to  his  son's  desires  and  the 
marriage  of  Daniel  Parke  Custis  and  Martha  Dandridge  was  solem- 
nized in  St.  Peter's  Church,  New  Kent  County,  in  1749. 

Four  children  were  born  of  this  union:  Frances,  who  died  in 
infancy;  Daniel,  who  also  died  in  early  childhood;  and  John  and 


212  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

Martha  Parke  Custis,  who  were  living  at  the  time  of  their  mother's 
marriage  to  Colonel  Washington.  The  two  eldest  children  of  Mrs. 
Custis  were  first  buried  in  Marsden  cemetery,  near  the  home  of 
their  parents.  Their  remains  were  later  removed  to  Bruton  church- 
yard, Williamsburg,  Virginia. 

Young  Custis  and  his  wife  maintained  a  winter  residence  in 
Williamsburg  which  was  commonly  known  as  "The  House  of  the  Six 
Chimneys."  They  were  prominent  in  the  social  circles  of  the  colonial 
capital  and  dispensed  from  their  spacious  home  a  liberal  hospitality. 

Colonel  Custis  died  in  the  spring  of  1 757,  leaving  an  estate  of  over 
30,000*  pounds  in. currency,  several  large  plantations,  and  numerous 
slaves  to  his  wife  and  two  children.  He  nominated  her  executrix  of 
his  estate  and  guardian  of  their  children.  Thus,  at  the  early  age  of 
twenty-five,  the  future  Mrs.  Washington  became  possessed  of  an  inde- 
pendent fortune  in  her  own  right. 

We  have  referred  to  the  accidental  meeting  of  the  widow  Custis 
and  Colonel  George  Washington  at  the  Chamberlain  House  on  the 
Pamunkey  River  and  will  not  again  revert  to  this  episode,  which 
resulted  in  the  second  marriage  of  Martha  Custis  to  the  young  Virginia 
colonel  on  the  6th  of  January,  1759. 

The  prominent  characteristics  of  Mrs.  Washington  have  been  so 
often  and  so  fully  described  that  a  lengthy  discussion  of  the  subject 
would  add  but  little  to  what  is  generally  known.  That  she  was  thor- 
oughly domestic  in  her  taste,  delighted  in  the  simple  occupations  of 
the  housekeeper  and  cared  nothing  for  fashion  or  display  is  undoubt- 
edly true,  yet  circumstances  over  which  she  had  no  control  wove  into 
her  life  as  much  of  the  tragic  and  dramatic  which  goes  to  make  real 
romance  as  has  come  to  any  woman  in  the  history  of  modern  times. 
Not  even  Josephine,  the  consort  of  the  great  Napoleon,  with  her 
wonderful  rise  from  mediocre  station  and  comparative  obscurity  to 
share  the  throne  of  Italy  and  imperial  crown  of  France,  is  more  inter- 
esting than  the  varied  experience  of  this  little  rustic  dame  from  the 
lowlands  of  the  Pamunkey. 

About  three  months  after  their  marriage,  Colonel  Washington, 
with  his  bride  and  her  two  children,  moved  to  Mount  Vernon,  and  for 
a  number  of  years,  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolutionary  War  in 
1775,  she  led  the  quiet,  uneventful  life  of  the  wife  of  a  prosperous 
planter. 

The  death  of  her  daughter,  Martha,  June  19,  1773,  was  the  first 


*This  legacy  is  variously  given  at  30,000,  35,000  and  45.000  pounds  sterling. 


MARTHA  WASHINGTON   AND   HER   CHILDREN.  213 

shadow  to  darken  the  household  after  her  second  marriage,  and  the 
sad  event  appears  to  have  affected  General  Washington  as  deeply  as 
it  did  his  wife.  The  young  lady,  just  maturing  into  beautiful  woman- 
hood, had  been  a  companion  in  his  daily  trips  around  the  farms,  as 
Nelhe  Custis  was  in  after  years,  and  his  affection  for  the  dehcate, 
dark-eyed  girl  was  as  genuine  and  sincere  as  that  of  an  indulgent 
parent.  On  her  sudden  death  he  is  said  to  have  given  way  to  uncon- 
trollable grief  and  to  have  knelt  at  her  bedside  and  prayed  aloud  for 
her  recovery.  The  ensuing  letter,  written  by  him  to  Mr.  Bassett, 
husband  of  Mrs.  Washington's  sister,  the  day  following  the  death  of 
Miss  Custis,  shows  very  clearly  the  weight  of  sorrow  which  burdened 
the  family  on  that  sad  occasion : 

Mount  Vernon,  20th  June,  1773. 

Dbar  Sm:  It  is  an  easier  matter  to  conceive,  than  to  describe  the  distress  of 
this  Family ;  especially  that  of  the  unhappy  Parent  of  our  Dear  Patsy  Custis,  when 
I  inform  you  that  yesterday  removed  the  Sweet  Innocent  Girl  Entered  into 
a  more  happy  &  peaceful  abode  than  any  she  has  met  with  in  the  afflicted  Path 
she  hitherto  has  trod. 

She  rose  from  Dinner  about  four  o'clock  in  better  health  and  Spirits  than  she 
appeared  to  have  been  in  for  some  time;  soon  after  which,  she  was  seized  with  one 
of  her  usual  Fits,  &  expired  in  it,  in  less  than  two  minutes  without  uttering  a  word, 
a  groan,  or  scarce  a  sigh — This  sudden,  and  unexpected  blow,  I  scarce  need  add,  has 
almost  reduced  my  poor  Wife  to  the  lowest  ebb  of  Misery;  which  is  encreased  by 
the  absence  of  her  son,  (whom  I  have  just  fixed  at  the  College  in  New  York  from 
whence  I  returned  the  8th  Inst.)  and  want  of  the  balmy  consolation  of  her  Relations ; 
which  leads  me  more  than  ever  to  wish  she  could  see  them,  and  that  I  was  Master  of 
Arguments  powerful  enough  to  prevail  upon  Mrs.  Dandridge  [Mrs.  Washington's 
stepmother]  to  make  this  place  her  entire  &  absolute  home.  I  should  think  as 
she  Uves  a  lonesome  Hfe  (Betsey  being  married)  it  might  suit  her  well,  &  be  agreeable 
both  to  herself  &  my  wife;  to  me,  most  assuredly,  it  would.  I  do  not  purpose  to 
add  more  at  present,  the  end  of  my  writing  being  only  to  inform  you  of  this  unhappy 
change. 

The  death  of  her  daughter  and  the  absence  of  her  only  remaining 
child,  John,  left  a  lonely  fireside  for  Mrs.  Washington  at  Mount 
Vernon,  which  was  rendered  particularly  distressing  by  the  enforced 
and  frequent  absence  of  her  husband  at  Wilhamsburg,  during  the 
sessions  of  the  Assembly.  That  was  a  period  of  extreme  poUtical 
unrest.  The  storm  of  revolution  was  rapidly  brewing  and,  the  ser- 
vices of  the  very  best  men  of  all  the  colonies  being  required  at  the 
several  seats  of  government  to  deal  with  the  delicate  situation,  Mrs. 
Washington  was  left  on  these  occasions  almost  entirely  alone  with  the 
servants. 


214  WASHINGTON  THE)   MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

Another  source  of  considerable  worry  of  a  different  nature  ap- 
peared to  distress  the  afflicted  couple  also.  Young  John  Custis,  Mrs. 
Washington's  son,  then  at  King's,  now  Columbia  CoUege,  New  York, 
was  not  giving  entire  satisfaction  with  his  studies.  He  had  become 
deeply  enamored  of  Miss  Eleanor  Calvert,  second  daughter  of  Benedict 
Calvert  (a  descendant  of  Lord  Baltimore)  of  Mount  Airy,  Mar^iand, 
and  was  determined  on  an  early  marriage,  which  the  young  lady 
appears  to  have  encoiuaged,  and  no  amount  of  argument  or  influence 
was  sufficient  to  persuade  him  to  postpone  the  nuptials.  No  objection 
was  offered  to  the  young  lady  by  either  his  mother  or  General  Wash- 
ington ;  his  youth  and  the  unfinished  state  of  his  education  formed  the 
basis  of  their  opposition  to  an  early  alliance,  but  without  effect.  The 
parents  finally  consented,  and  young  Custis  married  Miss  Calvert  on 
February  3,  1774. 

Mrs.  Washington,  still  absorbed  in  grief  over  the  loss  of  her 
daughter,  could  not  attend  the  wedding,  but  wrote  the  bride  as  follows : 

My  Dear  Nelly:  God  took  from  Me  a  Daughter,  when  June  Roses  were 
blooming — He  has  now  given  me  another  daughter,  about  her  Age  when  Winter 
winds  are  blowing,  to  warm  my  Heart  again.  I  am  as  Happy  as  One  so  Afiiicted 
and  so  Blest  can  be.  Pray  receive  my  Benediction  and  a  wish  that  you  may  long 
live  the  Lo\dng  wife  of  my  happy  Son,  and  a  Loving  daughter  of, 
Your  affectionate  Mother, 

M.  Washington. 

Young  Custis  took  his  bride  home  to  Mount  Vernon  where  they 
resided  for  about  two  years,  when  they  moved  to  Abingdon,  a  fine 
homestead  on  the  Potomac  River  just  above  Alexandria,  and  adjoining 
what  is  now  Arlington  estate,  which  Mr.  Custis  a  few  years  after 
purchased  also. 

Mrs.  Washington's  spirit  of  self-abnegation  became  well  known 
before  the  revolution.  WTien  Patrick  Henry  and  Edmund  Pendleton, 
colleagues  of  Washington  in  the  Virginia  Delegation  to  the  First  Con- 
tinental Congress,  had  spent  a  night  at  Mount  Vernon  and,  in  company 
with  the  Colonel,  were  leaving  next  morning  for  Philadelphia,  her 
encouraging  words  to  the  trio  of  distinguished  statesmen  long  remained 
a  pleasing  memory  in  the  mind  of  IMr.  Pendleton,  who  wrote  to  his 
wife : 

I  was  much  pleased  with  Mrs.  Washington  and  her  spirit.  She  seemed  ready 
to  make  any  sacrifice  and  was  cheerful,  though  I  know  she  felt  anxious.  She  talked 
like  a  Spartan  mother  to  her  son  on  going  to  battle.  "I  hope  you  will  all  stand 
firm — I  know  George  will,"  she  said.     The  dear  little  woman  was  busy  from  morning 


MARTHA    WASHINGTON   AND    HER   CHILDREN.  215 

until  night  with  domestic  duties,  but  she  gave  us  much  time  in  conversation  and 
affording  us  entertainment.  When  we  set  off  in  the  morning,  she  stood  in  the  door 
and  cheered  us  with  the  good  words,  "God  be  with  you,  gentlemen." 

The  revolution  brought  to  this  "Uttle  Spartan  mother"  many- 
heartaches  and  anxieties.  Devoted  to  her  husband,  his  personal 
safety  and  welfare  were  a  subject  of  constant  concern  to  her.  She 
could  not  contentedly  endure  long  periods  of  separation  from  him, 
and  when  the  active  campaigns  of  the  summer  were  over,  she  usually 
joined  the  General  at  headquarters  and  patiently  shared  the  privations 
of  camp  during  the  winter,  ministering  to  the  sick  and  wounded. 
She  was  particularly  active  in  this  work  at  Morristown  and  Valley 
Forge,  and  some  of  the  letters  written  in  reference  to  her  relief  work 
about  this  period  are  especially  interesting. 

Mrs.  Washington  joined  her  husband  in  the  New  Jersey  camp 
March  5,  1777,  and  Dr.  Joseph  Tuttle  gives  an  amusing  account  of  the 
experience  of  some  Morristown  ladies  who  paid  the  General's  wife  a 
social  call  soon  after  her  arrival.  "Having  a  natural  desire  to 
appear  at  their  best  and  to  do  honor  to  the  great  lady,  they  donned 
their  bravest  attire."  Mrs.  Troupe,  one  of  the  party,  afterwards 
relating  her  experience,  says: 

We  found  her  knitting  and  with  a  speckled  apron  on.  She  received  us  very 
graciously  and  easily,  but  after  the  compliments  were  over,  she  resumed  her  knit- 
ting. There  we  were  without  a  stitch  of  work,  and  sitting  in  state,  while  General 
Washington's  lady  with  her  own  hands  was  knitting  stockings  for  herself  and 
husband. 

And  that  was  not  all.  In  the  afternoon  her  ladyship  took  occasion  to  say,  in 
a  way  that  we  could  not  be  offended  at,  that  at  this  time  it  was  very  important 
that  American  ladies  should  be  patterns  of  industry  to  their  countrjTvomen,  because 
the  separation  from  the  mother  country  will  dry  up  the  sources  whence  many  of  our 
comforts  have  been  derived.  We  must  become  independent  by  our  determination 
to  do  without  what  we  cannot  make  ourselves.  Whilst  our  husbands  and  brothers 
are  examples  of  patriotism,  we  must  be  patterns  of  industry. 

Another  Morristown  woman,  in  giving  an  accoimt  of  the  same 
visit,  says: 

Yesterday,  with  several  others,  I  visited  Lady  Washington  at  headquarters. 
We  expected  to  find  the  wealthy  wife  of  the  great  general  elegantly  dressed,  for  the 
time  of  our  visit  had  been  fixed;  but,  instead,  she  was  neatly  attired  in  a  plain 
brown  habit.  Her  gracious  and  cheerful  manners  delighted  us  all,  but  we  felt 
rebuked  by  the  plainness  of  her  apparel  and  her  example  of  persistent  industry, 
while  we  were  extravagantly  dressed  idlers,  a  name  not  very  creditable  in  these 
perilous  times.     She  seems  very  wise  in  experience,  kind-hearted  and  winning  in  all 


2l6  WASHINGTON   THE;   MAN   AND  THE   MASON. 

her  ways.     She  talked  much  of  the  sufferings  of  the  poor  soldiers,  especially  of  the 
sick  ones.     Her  heart  seemed  to  be  full  of  compassion  for  them. 

Mrs.  Westlake,  who  lived  near  the  Potts*  House  (Washington's 
headquarters)  at  Valley  Forge,  and  who  in  her  old  age  conversed  with 
the  historian,  Mr.  Lossing,  said: 

I  never  in  my  life  knew  a  woman  so  busyfrom  earlymoming  untU  late  at  night 
as  was  Lady  Washington,  providing  comforts  for  the  sick  soldiers.  Every  day, 
excepting  Sunday,  the  wives  of  officers  in  camp,  and  sometimes  other  women,  were 
invited  to  headquarters  to  assist  her  in  knitting  socks,  patching  garments  and 
making  shirts  for  the  poor  soldiers,  when  materials  could  be  procured.  Every  fair 
day  she  might  be  seen,  with  basket  in  hand,  and  a  single  attendant,  going  among 
the  huts  seeking  the  keenest  and  most  needy  sufferer  and  giving  all  the  comforts  to 
them  in  her  power.  I  sometimes  went  with  her,  for  I  was  a  stout  girl,  sixteen  years 
old.  On  one  occasion  she  went  to  the  hut  of  a  dying  sergeant,  whose  young  wife 
was  with  him.  His  case  seemed  to  particularly  touch  the  heart  of  the  good  lady, 
and  after  she  had  given  him  some  wholesome  food  she  had  prepared  with  her  own 
hands,  she  knelt  down  by  his  straw  pallet  and  prayed  earnestly  for  him  and  his  wife 
with  her  sweet  and  solemn  voice.     I  shall  never  forget  the  scene. 

In  every  walk  of  her  life,  Martha  Washington  measured  up  to  the 
full  requirements  of  the  situation.  As  the  wife  of  a  soldier,  she  shared 
that  soldier's  troubles  and  was  the  ministering  angel  to  the  sick  and 
distressed  in  the  camp ;  as  the  wife  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  she  discharged  with  dignity  and  ease  the  duties  of  "  the  first 
lady  of  the  land,"  and  under  all  conditions  was  the  same  devoted 
mother,  amiable  companion  and  loyal  helpmate. 

The  young  French  traveler,  Brissot  de  Warville,  said  of  the  Mount 
Vernon  household : 

Everjrthing  has  an  air  of  simplicity  in  his  (Washington's)  house;  his  table  is 
good,  but  not  ostentatious;  and  no  deviation  is  seen  from  regularity  and  domestic 
economy.  Mrs.  Washington  superintends  the  whole,  and  joins  to  the  quaUties 
of  an  excellent  housewife,  that  simple  dignity  which  ought  to  characterize  a  woman 
whose  husband  has  acted  the  greatest  part  on  the  theatre  of  human  affairs;  while 
she  possesses  that  amenity,  and  manifests  that  attention  to  strangers,  which  renders 
hospitality  so  charming. 

The  death  of  her  only  remaining  child,  John  Custis,  was  a  severe 
blow  to  this  devoted  parent.  Stricken  with  camp  fever  during  the 
battle  of  Yorktown  and  while  serving  as  an  aide  to  General  Washing- 
ton, he  was  removed  to  Eltham,  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Washington's 

*Mr.  Potts  was  the  aged  Quaker  who,  when  he  discovered  Washington  in  solitary  prayer, 
informed  his  wife  that  the  colonies  were  sure  to  win  as  "George  Washington  was  a  God-fearing  man." 


MARTHA  WASHINGTON  AND   HER   CHILDREN.  217 

sister,  in  New  Kent  County,  where  he  died,  after  a  short  illness,  on 
the  5th  of  November  at  the  age  of  only  twenty-seven. 

Young  Custis,  happily  married,  had  given  proof  of  intrinsic 
worth.  As  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Legislature,  to  which  he  had 
been  elected,  he  had  attracted  considerable  attention  by  his  active 
participation  in  public  affairs  and  his  zealous  attachment  to  the  cause 
of  the  colonies. 

He  left,  besides  his  widow,  four  small  children,  Ehza,  Martha, 
Eleanor  and  George  Washington  Parke  Custis,  the  youngest  two  of 
which  (NeUie  and  George  Washington  Parke)  were  adopted  by 
General  Washington  immediately  after  their  father's  death. 

These  children  were  taken  to  Mount  Vernon,  and  in  the  absence 
of  Mrs.  Washington  at  headquarters  remained  in  care  of  Mrs.  Lund 
Washington,  wife  of  the  General's  manager,  vmtil  after  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  and  the  permanent  return  of  their  grandparents,  when 
the  care  of  the  two  little  ones  devolved  entirely  upon  General  Wash- 
ington and  his  wife.  It  was  a  source  of  great  satisfaction  to  the 
venerable  couple  in  their  dechning  years,  when  cheered  by  the  inno- 
cent mirth  of  these  young  people,  to  realize  that  their  affections  and 
labors  had  not  been  misplaced. 

The  last  sad  affliction  which  befell  ]Mrs.  Washington  was  the 
death  of  her  husband,  and  she  could  well  and  truthfully  say,  as  she 
did  in  a  spirit  of  Christian  resignation,  when  death  had  robbed  her 
of  her  revered  companion:  "  'Tis  well;  I  have  no  more  trials  to  pass 
through;  I  shall  soon  follow."  Like  that  companion  she  was  the  last 
or  nearly  the  last  of  her  family.  Father  and  mother,  sisters  and 
brothers  and  all  her  children  had  gone  before. 

After  the  death  of  General  Washington,  the  family  at  Mount 
Vernon  consisted  of  Airs.  Washington,  Major  Lawrence  Lewis  and 
wife,  NeUie  Lewis  (nee  Custis),  their  infant  daughter,  bom  about  two 
weeks  before  the  General  died,  Tobias  Lear  and  Albin  Rawlins,  the 
General's  secretaries,  and  young  George  Washington  Parke  Custis. 

Under  the  provisions  of  General  Washington's  will,  his  widow 
was  to  enjoy  the  benefits  of  his  estate  during  her  natural  life,  except 
where  specifically  provided  to  the  contrary.  In  consequence  of  this 
provision,  no  distribution  of  the  Mount  Vernon  property  was  imme- 
diately made  and,  so  far  as  the  management  of  these  farms  were 
concerned,  conditions  were  not  materially  changed  at  the  home  of 
the  widow  during  her  lifetime.  Lawrence  Lewis  assumed  active 
supervision  of  the  plantations,  and  Air.  Lear  and  Mr.  Rawhns  con- 


2l8  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

tinued  their  work  of  copying  and  compiling  the  correspondence  and 
other  papers  of  the  General,  as  he  had  directed.  As  a  matter  of  fact 
little  is  known  of  the  last  year  or  closing  scenes  of  Martha  Washing- 
ton's life.  Though  deeply  affected  by  the  death  of  her  husband,  with 
whom  she  had  lived  in  perfect  harmony  for  over  forty  years,  she  did 
not  become  a  recluse  or  abstain  from  all  participation  in  domestic 
affairs ;  nevertheless  she  lived  in  retirement,  attended  no  public  func- 
tions, and  quietly  awaited  the  end. 

George  Washington  Parke  Custis,  in  his  "Recollections  of 
Washington,"  states  that: 

When  the  burst  of  grief  which  followed  the  death  of  the  Pater  Patrise  had  a 
little  subsided,  visits  of  condolence  to  the  bereaved  lady  were  made  by  the  first 
personages  of  the  land.  The  President  of  the  United  States,  with  many  other 
distinguished  individuals,  repaired  to  Mount  Vernon;  while  letters,  addresses, 
funeral  orations,  and  all  the  tokens  of  sorrow  and  respect,  loaded  the  mails,  from 
every  quarter  of  the  country,  offering  the  sublime  tribute  of  a  nation's  mourning  for 
a  nation's  benefactor. 

Although  the  great  sun  of  attraction  had  sunk  in  the  west,  still  the  radiance 
shed  by  his  illustrious  life  and  actions  drew  crowds  of  pilgrims  to  his  tomb.  The 
establishment  of  Mount  Vernon  was  kept  up  to  its  former  standard  and  the  lady 
presided  with  her  wonted  ease  and  dignity  of  manner,  at  her  hospitable  board. 
She  relaxed  not  in  her  attentions  to  her  domestic  concerns,  performing  the  arduous 
duties  of  the  mistress  of  so  extensive  an  estabUshment  although  in  the  sixty-ninth 
year  of  her  age,  and  evidently  suffering  in  her  spirits,  from  the  heavy  bereavement 
she  had  so  lately  sustained. 

In  little  more  than  two  years  from  the  demise  of  the  chief,  Mrs.  Washington 
became  alarmingly  ill  from  an  attack  of  bilious  fever.  From  her  advanced  age, 
the  sorrow  that  had  preyed  upon  her  spirits,  and  the  severity  of  the  attack,  the 
family  physicians  gave  but  little  hope  of  a  favorable  issue.  The  lady  herself  was^ 
perfectly  aware  that  her  hoiu^  was  nigh;  she  assembled  her  grandchildren  at  her 
bedside,  discoursed  to  them  on  their  respective  duties  through  Ufe,  spoke  of  the 
happy  influences  of  religion  upon  the  affairs  of  this  work,  of  the  consolations  they 
had  afforded  her  in  many  trying  afflictions,  and  of  the  hopes  they  held  out  of  a 
blessed  immortality,  and  then,  surrounded  by  her  weeping  relatives,  friends,  and 
domestics,  the  venerable  relict  of  Washington  resigned  her  life  into  the  hands  of  her 
Creator,  in  the  seventy-first  year  of  her  age. 

Mrs.  Washington  died,  after  an  illness  of  seventeen  days,  of  a 
slow,  debilitating  fever,  at  twelve  o'clock  on  Saturday,  May  22,  1802, 
and  was  interred  by  the  side  of  her  distinguished  husband  in  the 
family  vault.  In  1831  their  remains,  with  several  others  of  the 
Washington  family,  were  removed  on  the  completion  of  the  new  tomb 
and  deposited  in  that  receptacle. 

In  1837  a  vestibule  was  erected  in  front  of  the  new  vaidt  and 


MRS.  MARTHA  WAPHIXGTOX  I.\  OLD  AGE. 


MARTHA   WASHINGTON   AND   HER   CHILDREN.  219 

the  remains  of  the  General  and  his  wife,  encased  in  leaden  cofl&ns, 
were  deposited  in  separate  sarcophagi  made  from  solid  blocks  of 
Pennsylvania  marble  and  placed  side  by  side  in  this  addit'on.  There 
they  rest  to-day. 

The  death  of  Mrs.  Washington  dispersed  the  family  at  Mount 
Vernon  and  precipitated  a  distribution  under  their  respective  wills 
of  both  her  own  and  her  husband's  estate.  As  it  may  be  of  interest 
to  some  not  familiar  with  the  subject  to  know  what  became  of  the 
individual  members  of  this  interesting  group,  we  will  devote  a  line 
or  two  to  each. 

ALBIN  RAWLINS 

Of  Albin  Rawlins  little  can  be  learned.  He  was  a  native  of 
Caroline  County,  Virginia,  and  had  been  selected  by  General  Wash- 
ington upon  the  recommendation  of  General  Spotswood  as  an  assist- 
ant secretary  in  1798.  To  him  was  assigned  the  duty  of  copying  into 
manuscript  volumes  the  General's  most  private  correspondence.  He 
was  engaged  upon  this  duty  at  the  time  of  the  General's  death  and 
appears  to  have  faithfully  performed  his  task.  It  has  been  the 
opinion  of  many,  among  them  Dr.  Gustavus  Brown,  that  excessive 
bleeding  hastened,  if  it  did  not  cause,  the  death  of  General  Wash- 
ington, and  Rawlins  was  the  first  to  apply  the  lancet,  which  he  did 
at  the  request  of  the  General  before  the  arrival  of  the  physicians. 

TOBIAS  LEAR 

Tobias  Lear  was  bom  in  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  in  1760, 
and  graduated  from  Harvard  College  in  1783.  He  first  came  to 
Mount  Vernon  about  1786  as  a  tutor  to  the  Custis  children.  He 
also  served  for  a  number  of  years  at  different  times  in  the  capacity 
of  private  secretary  to  the  General.  Mr.  Lear  was  married  three 
times,  his  first  wife  being  a  New  England  lady,  Miss  Mary  Long, 
daughter  of  Captain  Long,  also  of  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  and 
a  childhood  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Lear.  During  Washington's  admini- 
stration as  President,  while  acting  in  the  capacity  of  private  secretary 
to  the  General,  Mr.  Lear  and  his  young  wife  lived  in  the  Executive 
Mansion  or  president's  house,  in  Philadelphia,  as  members  of  the 
Washington  family. 

His  first  wife,  who  was  very  popular  with  the^Washingtons,  died 
suddenly,  presumably  of  yellow  fever,  July  28,  1793. 


220  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

In  writing  of  her  death  to  his  wife,  Judge  Iredell  refers  to  Mrs. 
Leax  in  the  following  complimentary  terms: 

We  have  lately  had  a  very  affecting  death  in  this  city.  Mrs.  Lear,  the  wife  of 
the  President's  secretary,  died  on  Sunday  last  after  a  short  but  very  severe  illness. 
She  was  only  twenty-three  and  beloved  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  her,  and  she 
and  her  husband  had  been  fond  of  one  another  from  infancy.  He  attended  the 
funeral  himself,  and  so  did  the  President  and  Mrs.  Washington.  Mr.  Hamilton, 
Mr.  Jefferson,  General  Knox,  Judge  Wilson,  Judge  Peters,  and  myself  were  pall- 
bearers. 

Mr.  Lear's  second  wife  was  the  widow  of  George  A.  Washington 
and  niece  of  Mrs.  Washington,  who  will  be  recalled  as  Fanny  Bassett. 
His  second  wife,  whom  he  married  in  1795,  also  died  and  he  was  again 
married  to  Frances  Dandridge  Henley,  who  was  a  grand-niece  of  Mrs. 
Washington.  After  the  death  of  the  General,  Mr.  Lear  retired  to 
his  farm,  "Wellington,"  a  part  of  the  Mount  Vernon  estate  in  which 
he  had  inherited  a  life  interest  from  the  General.  (See  illustrated 
map.)  He  was  appointed,  by  President  Jefferson,  consul  to  negotiate 
the  treaty  of  peace  with  the  Barbadoes  in  1803.  He  died  in  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  in  1816.     His  third  wife  died  in  the  same  city  in  1856. 

LAWRENCE  LEWIS  AND  WIFE.  NELLIE  (NEE  CUSTIS). 

General  Washington  in  his  will  divided  his  Mount  Vernon  farms 
into  three  parts.  The  mansion  and  four  thousand  acres  of  land 
adjacent  thereto  he  willed  to  his  nephew.  Judge  Bushrod  Washington, 
son  of  his  brother  John  Augustine;  the  section  east  of  Hunting  creek, 
containing  two  thousand  acres  more  or  less,  he  bequeathed  to  his 
nephews,  George  Fayette  and  Lawrence  Augustine  Washington,  sons 
of  George  A.  Washington  and  Fanny  Bassett;  and  that  portion  lying 
west  of  the  road,  running  from  the  grist  mill  to  the  crossing  at  Little 
Hunting  creek  (see  map  of  farms)  containing  about  two  thousand 
acres,  he  willed  to  his  nephew,  Lawrence  Lewis  and  wife,  Nellie. 

The  southwestern  section  of  the  tract  inherited  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lewis  is  an  elevated  plain,  commanding  a  beautiful  prospect  of 
the  Potomac  River  and  the  siurounding  country.  This  highland 
General  Washington  selected  as  a  suitable  location  for  the  future 
home  of  his  adopted  daughter,  and  in  compliance  with  his  wish  or 
suggestion,  which  is  contained  in  a  letter  written  just  before  his  death, 
Lawrence  Lewis,  about  1804,  erected  on  the  site  selected  by  the 
General  one  of  the  most  imposing  residences  in  nortliern  Virginia. 
To  this  elegant  home,  which  they  named  "Woodlawn,"  the  favored 


►4 


CO 
O 

w 
z 

Q 
2 
< 

O 

z 

< 

o 

w 


o 
m 

z' 

o 

z 


z 
< 

Q 
O 


MARTHA    WASHINGTON   AND   HER   CHILDREN.  221 

nephew  and  petted  ward  of  Washington  moved  after  the  death  of 
Airs.  Washington  and  the  dissolution  of  her  family  at  Mount  Vernon. 

Tradition  informs  us  that  the  stately  structure  was  designed  by 
the  General  during  the  last  year  of  his  life,  and  while  we  have  been 
unable  to  substantiate  this  time-honored  rumor,  it  is  not  improbable 
that  such  was  the  case  in  view  of  the  fact  stated  above  and  that  the 
Lewises  were  among  the  principal  residuary  legatees  in  the  wills  of 
both  the  General  and  his  wife.  Woodlawn  is  situated  about  three 
miles  inland  from  Alount  Vernon  and  is  a  much  more  pretentious  and 
imposing  structure  than  the  Mount  Vernon  mansion.  It  was  occupied 
by  the  Lewises  for  about  thirty-five  years,  until  near  1840,  and  there 
can  be  little  doubt  that  the  beautiful  Nellie  as  mistress  of  this 
splendid  manor  maintained  her  reputation  as  a  social  leader  and 
charming  hostess. 

After  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Lewis  moved  to  Audley, 
an  estate  of  the  major  near  Berry\alle,  in  Clarke  County,  Virginia. 
Vacant  and  abandoned  by  its  owner,  Woodlawn  Alansion  suffered 
from  neglect,  and  the  once  beautiful  farm,  the  most  desirable  part  of 
the  Mount  Vernon  property,  presented  a  sad  and  desolate  appearance 
for  a  number  of  years,  or  from  the  departure  of  Airs.  Lewis  in  1840 
until  the  early  "fifties,"  when  a  colony  of  the  Society  of  Friends  or 
Quakers  from  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania,  purchasing  the  Lewis 
property  and  most  of  the  Alount  Vernon  estate,  began  the  laudable 
work  of  restoration.  These  people  proved  a  veritable  boon  to  the 
surrounding  country  as  they  soon  transformed  the  neglected  waste 
land  into  highly  cultivated,  valuable  farms.  Sober,  industrious  and 
frugal,  they  stamped  their  identity  on  the  community  not  only  by 
their  industry  but  by  examples  of  moral  worth  and  rectitude. 

Within  recent  years  the  Woodlawn  Alansion  has  been  entirely 
restored  and,  as  the  accompanying  illustration  shows,  is  at  present, 
as  it  was  in  the  days  of  its  first  occupants,  a  strikingly  beautiful  home. 

Alajor  Lawrence  Lewis  died  at  Arlington,  November  20,  1839, 
and  his  remains  were  deposited  in  the  vault  at  Alt.  Vernon.  His 
wife  died  at  Audley,  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  July  15,  1852.  Airs. 
Lewis'  remains  were  brought  to  Alount  \'ernon  and  interred  by  the 
side  of  the  tomb  where  rest  her  distinguished  foster-parent,  her  grand- 
mother and  her  husband. 

A  well-known  writer  has  left  us  a  vivid  description  (the  substance 
of  which  he  received  from  the  grandson  of  Airs.  Lewis)  of  the  journey 
from  Audley  to  Alount  Vernon  with  the  remains  of  Airs.  Lewis,  and 


222  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

the  arrival  at  the  beloved  home  of  her  childhood  and  youth  after  the 
lonely  funeral  procession  from  the  distant  Shenandoah : 

To  the  watcher  from  the  farmhouse  and  village  that  must  have  been  a  lonely 
and  mournful  funeral  procession  indeed,  as  it  slowly  wended  its  course  down  the 
long  Virginia  highway  from  the  Shenandoah  to  the  Potomac,  the  hearse  contain- 
ing the  remains  of  the  aged  grandmother,  and  a  solitary  carriage  accompanying, 
with  the  two  surviving  grandsons,  one  of  whom  was  lately  living  to  tell  of  the 
impressive  circumstances  of  the  event.  Late  at  night  their  journey  was  finished, 
and  the  coffined  form  of  Nelly  was  placed  in  the  parlor  at  Mount  Vernon,  where, 
more  than  fifty  years  before,  crowned  with  bridal  wreaths,  "the  fairest  lady  of  the 
land,"  Washington  himself  had  affectionately  given  her  in  marriage,  and  commended 
her  to  the  protecting  care  of  the  one  favored  claimant  of  his  choice,  and  where  she 
had  received  the  congratulations  and  blessin^js  oi  so  many  of  her  kinsfolk  and 
friends.  Many  of  the  citizens  of  Alexandrir,  and  Washington  and  the  surrounding 
country  came  to  pay  their  tributes  of  fond  remembrance  and  regard  to  "  Nelly"  as 
she  lay  in  state  in  the  "Mansion,"  and  to  see  the  last  of  "earth  to  earth."  Down 
in  the  family  burial  place,  just  by  the  waters  of  the  river  on  whose  pleasant  banks 
she  had  passed  so  many  happy  days  in  childhood  and  youth,  her  dust  is  very  near 
to  that  of  her  kind  and  loving  guardians.  A  marble  monument  marks  her  last 
resting  place  with  the  following  inscription : 

SACRED 

to  the  memory  of  Eleanor  Parke  Custis,  granddaughter  of 

Mrs.    Washington   and    adopted  daughter 

of  General  George  Washington. 

Reared  under  the  roof  of  the  Father  of  his  Country,  this  lady  was  not  more  remark- 
able for  the  beauty  of  her  person  than  for  the  superiority  of  her  mind.  She  lived 
to  be  admired,  and  died  to  be  regretted,  July  15,  1852,  in  the  seventy-fourth  year 
of  her  age.  Another  handsome  monument  in  the  same  iron  enclosure  marks  the 
resting  place  of  her  daughter,  Eleanor  Angela  Conrad.  (Our  illustration  shows 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lewis  in  old  age,  with  their  only  son,  Lorenzo.) 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON  PARKE  CUSTIS  AND  ARLINGTON. 

On  the  25th  day  of  December,  1778,  John  Parke  Custis,  son  of 
Mrs.  Martha  Washington,  purchased  from  Gerard  Alexander  eleven 
hundred  acres  of  land  for  the  sum  of  eleven  hundred  poimds  Virginia 
currency.  This  property,  situated  near  the  head  of  tidewater  on  the 
Potomac  River  directly  opposite  the  present  city  of  Washington, 
adjoined  Mr.  Custis'  home  farm,  "Abingdon,"  on  the  west. 

Like  Woodlawn  estate,  the  western  portion  of  this  property 
consists  of  a  high  ridge  or  tableland  around  which  the  broad,  beauti- 
ful Potomac  winds  its  way  through  verdant  fields  and  bordering 
bluffs,  creating  a  diversified  pastoral  scene  of  entrancing  beauty. 


LAWRE.XCE  LEWIS  AXD  WIFE,  XELLIE  "CUSTIS"  LEWIS,  IN  OLD  AGE,  AXD  THEIR  ONLY  SOX. 


MARTHA    WASHINGTON    AND   HER   CHILDREN.  223 

Nature  endowed  the  spot  with  special  charm,  while  the  genius  of  man 
has  enriched  and  embellished  the  dazzUng  panorama  by  erecting  the 
incomparable  home  of  the  nation  almost  within  the  evening  shadows 
of  its  stately  oaks. 

In  the  division  of  John  Custis'  estate  the  eleven  hundred  acres 
of  land  purchased  from  Alexander  fell  to  his  son,  George  Washington 
Parke  Custis,  the  younger  of  the  two  children  adopted  by  General 
Washington.  After  the  death  of  his  grandmother,  Mrs.  Washington, 
young  Custis  made  his  home  with  his  sister  Nellie  until  his  marriage 
in  1804  to  Miss  Mary  Lee  Fitzhugh,  daughter  of  William  Fitzhugh 
of  Chatham,  a  fine  old  estate  in  Stafford  County,  opposite  Fredericks- 
burg, Virginia  (still  standing) . 

About  two  years  before  his  marriage  and  probably  in  contempla- 
tion of  that  event,  selecting  the  most  conspicuous  point  on  the  brow 
of  the  high  ground  referred  to  as  a  suitable  location,  Mr.  Custis  began 
the  erection  of  his  palatial  residence,  which  he  christened  "Arlington 
House ' '  and  which  has  since  become  world  famous  as  the  abode  of  the 
renowned  southern  chieftain,  Robert  E.  Lee,  and  the  sacred  Valhalla 
of  America. 

The  life  of  George  Washington  Parke  Custis,  founder  of  ArUngton, 
the  adopted  son  of  George  Washington  and  the  grandson  of  Martha, 
his  wife,  was  replete  with  thrilling  interest.  Reared  under  the  roof 
of  Mount  Vernon  mansion,  he  enjoyed  not  only  the  salutary  advice 
of  his  distinguished  foster-father,  but  in  addition  thereto  the  superior 
advantage  of  the  cultured  society  and  companionship  of  the  most 
distinguished  men  and  women  of  the  country.  Educated  in  the  best 
schools  of  his  day  and  along  the  most  practical  lines,  he  developed  in 
early  Ufe  a  talent  for  literature  and  in  later  years  became  noted  as 
an  orator  of  considerable  force. 

His  "Recollections  of  Washington,"  written  at  different  periods 
of  his  Ufe  and  published  in  numerous  magazines  at  the  time,  was 
subsequently  compiled  under  the  supervision  of  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Robert  E.  Lee.  While  somewhat  ornate,  it  is  intensely  interesting 
and  instructive,  as  it  carries  the  reader  into  the  inner  circle  of  the 
sanctum  at  Mount  Vernon  and  vividly  portrays  the  domestic  life  in 
the  home  of  Washington. 

On  January  lo,  1799,  young  Custis,  though  only  nineteen  years 
of  age,  was  appointed  by  President  Adams  comet  in  the  United 
States  army  and  afterwards,  when  the  country  was  threatened  with 
a  war  with  France,  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  aide-de-camp  to 


2  24  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

General  Charles  Cotesworthy  Pinckney  of  South  CaroUna  with  the 
rank  of  colonel.  Owing  to  the  early  settlement  of  the  French  diffi- 
culty, young  Custis  was  never  called  into  active  service  but  continued 
the  peaceful  life  of  a  planter,  occasionally  contributing  to  contem- 
porary periodicals  his  much  sought  recollections  and  reviews. 

Mr.  Custis  died  on  the  loth  of  October,  1857,  after  an  illness  of 
only  four  days,  and  on  the  12th,  with  military  honors,  his  remains  were 
laid  by  the  side  of  his  wife  (who  had  died  in  1S53)  in  the  quiet  groves 
near  the  stately  home  he  had  reared  in  early  manliood  and  in  which 
he  had  spent  over  half  a  century  in  his  favorite  rural  occupations, 
diversified  by  an  occasional  literary  production. 

By  his  will  bearing  date  March  20,  1855,  he  devised  the  Arlington 
House  estate  to  his  daughter  and  only  surviving  child,  Mary  Ann 
Randolph  Lee,  during  her  natural  life,  and  on  her  death  to  his  eldest 
grandson  George  Washington  Custis  Lee,  to  him  and  his  heirs  forever, 
with  the  plate  and  paintings*  therein. 

Robert  E.  Lee,  the  famous  son  of  the  famous  Light  Horse  Harry 
of  revolutionary  fame,  and  the  grandson  of  the  traditional  "lowland 
beauty,"  Lucy  Gr^-mes,  was  married  to  Mary  Ann  Randolph  Custis, 
June  30,  1 83 1,  at  Arlington  House.  The  ceremony  was  performed 
by  the  Reverend  Reuel  Keith,  a  professor  in  the  Episcopal  Theo- 
logical Seminary  near  Alexandria,  Virginia,  and  once  pastor  of  Christ 
Church  in  that  city,  in  which  sacred  edifice  Colonel  Lee  was  con- 
firmed in  1853  by  the  venerable  Bishop  Ivleade.  The  place  of 
his  confirmation  stood  only  a  few  hundred  feet  from  the  old  school- 
house  where,  in  early  youth,  he  had  been  prepared  for  West  Point 
by  the  worthy  old  Quaker  pedagogue,  Benjamin  Halowell. 

It  was  fitting  that  the  name  of  Custis  should  merge  into  that  of 
the  family  so  closely  associated  and  connected  with  the  name  of 
Washington,  and  especially  gratifying  that  the  great  granddaughter 
of  Martha  Washington,  the  last  of  the  honored  name  of  her  paternal 
ancestors,  should  be  joined  in  wedlock  to  the  noblest  scion  of  this 
knightly  race. 

Beautiful  old  Arlington  was  in  all  her  glory  on  the  night  of  their 
marriage.  The  stately  mansion  never  held  a  happier  assemblage. 
Its  broad  portico  and  widespread  wings  held  out  open  arms,  as  it 

*The  following  illustrations  in  this  work  are  from  that  collection:  Nellie  Custis,  a  bride,  and 
in  childhood  ;G.W.  P.  Custis,  in  old  age  and  in  youth;  Martha  and  Daniel  Parke  Custis;  Washing- 
ton, aged  forty;  Light  Horse  Harry  Lee;  John  Custis  and  Martha  Parke  Custis.  These,  with  the 
exception  of  General  Henry  Lee,  were  formerly  at  Mount  Vernon.  The  picture  of  Colonel  Robert 
B.  Lee  and  wife  are  from  the  same  collection  but  were  painted  about  1832. 


f 


i\:S 


.-^^' 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON   PARKE  CUSTIS  IN  OLD  AGE. 


MARTHA   WASHINGTON   AND   HER   CHILDREN.  225 

were,  to  welcome  the  coming  guest.  Its  simple  Doric  columns  graced 
domestic  comfort  with  a  classic  air.  Its  halls  and  chambers  were 
adorned  with  the  patriots  and  heroes  and  with  illustrations  and  relics 
of  the  great  revolution  and  of  the  "Father  of  his  Country."  With- 
out and  within,  history  and  tradition  seemed  to  breathe  their  legends 
upon  a  canvas  as  soft  as  a  dream  of  peace. 

The  beginning  of  the  Civil  War  in  1861  brought  serious  trouble 
upon  this  happy  home.  General  Lee  was  then  a  colonel  in  the  United 
States  army  with  a  record  of  thirty-two  years  of  honorable  service, 
and  it  was  at  Arlington  that  the  momentous  question  of  following 
the  Union  he  loved  or  the  state  of  his  nativity  confronted  him.  It 
was  there  also  that  he  made  his  final  decision  and  from  there  on  the 
2oth  of  April,  1861,  he  wrote  that  now  memorable  letter  to  his  old 
commander,  General  Scott,  as  follows : 

Arlington,  Va.,  April  20th,  186 1. 
LiEut.-Generai,  WnsTFiELD  Scott, 

Commanding  United  States  Army. 

Gener.'vl:  Since  my  interview  with  you  on  the  i8th  inst.,  I  have  felt  that  I 
ought  not  longer  to  retain  my  commission  in  the  Army.  I  therefore  tender  my 
resignation,  which  I  request  you  will  recommend  for  acceptance.  It  would  have 
been  presented  at  once  but  for  the  struggle  it  has  cost  me  to  separate  myself  from  a 
service  to  which  I  have  devoted  all  the  best  years  of  my  life  and  all  the  ability  I 
possess. 

During  the  whole  of  that  time,  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  I  have  experi- 
enced nothing  but  kindness  from  my  superiors,  and  the  most  cordial  friendship  from 
my  comrades.  To  no  one,  General,  have  I  been  as  much  indebted  as  to  yourself 
for  uniform  kindness  and  consideration;  and  it  has  always  been  my  ardent  desire 
to  merit  your  approbation.  I  shall  carry  to  the  grave  the  most  grateful  recollections 
of  your  kind  consideration,  and  your  name  and  fame  will  always  be  dear  to  me. 

Save  in  defense  of  my  native  state,  I  never  desire  again  to  draw  my  sword. 
Be  pleased  to  accept  my  most  earnest  wishes  for  the  continuance  of  your  happiness 
and  prosperity,  and  believe  me,  most  truly  yours, 

R.  E.  LEB. 

A  few  days  after  writing  this  letter  Colonel  Lee  with  his  family 
left  Arlington  House,  never  to  return  as  proprietor,  if  ever  in  any 
capacity. 

On  the  7th  of  June,  1862,  the  United  States  Congress  passed  an 
act  for  the  collection  of  direct  taxes  in  insurrectionary  districts  within 
the  United  States,  and  for  other  purposes,  and  tmder  this  act  only 
the  owner  in  person  could  redeem  the  property  upon  which  such  tax 
was  imposed.  The  amount  levied  on  the  Arlington  estate  was  ninety- 
two  dollars  and  seven  cents.     The  nature  of  the  law  prevented  the 


226  WASHINGTON   THB   MAN   AND   THUS   MASON. 

redemption  of  the  property  under  the  circumstances  and  consequently 
Arlington,  on  the  nth  day  of  January,  1864,  was  offered  for  sale  by 
the  government  at  public  auction  in  the  city  of  Alexandria  and  bid 
in  by  the  government's  commissioners  for  the  sum  of  twenty-six 
thousand  eight  hundred  dollars.  No  portion  of  the  purchase  money 
was  ever  paid,  as  it  would  have  been  an  empty  form  for  the  govern- 
ment to  have  converted  the  amount  into  its  own  treasury. 

On  January  22,  1872,  Mrs.  Mary  A.  R.  Lee  began  proceedings 
to  recover  Arlington  estate  by  a  petition  to  the  United  States  Senate. 
Mrs.  Lee  died  November,  1873,  and  her  son,  General  George  Wash- 
ington Custis  Lee,  under  the  will  of  his  grandfather,  became  sole  heir 
to  the  property  and  continued  to  press  the  claim,  which  was  subse- 
quently referred  to  the  Court  of  Claims  for  adjudication  and,  after 
long  continued  litigation,  in  October,  1882,  the  case  was  finally 
decided  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  in  favor  of  General 
Lee,  who  subsequently  received  an  award  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  dollars  in  full  of  all  demands.  Thus  terminated  the  interest 
and  association  of  the  Lees  with  the  Arlington  estate. 

Arlington  has  become  one  of  the  sacred  shrines  of  America.  For 
half  a  century  the  home  of  the  grandson  of  Martha  Washington,  it 
is  directly  associated  and  connected  with  Mount  Vernon  and  the 
memories  that  cling  to  that  revered  spot,  while  the  name  and  fame 
of  Robert  E-  Lee,  a  legacy  to  the  southland  and  an  honor  to  the 
human  race,  will  gather  around  and  glorify  it  to  the  latest  posterity. 
Under  its  spreading  oaks  rest,  side  by  side,  those  who  wore  the  blue 
and  those  who  wore  the  grey  in  that  awful  period  of  "  blood  and  iron," 
symbolizing  peace  and  a  united  country. 

As  a  southern  man,  the  writer  feels  that  any  tribute  he  might 
pay  to  the  husband  of  Mary  Custis  would  in  a  sense  be  attributed 
to  his  natural  partiality  for  the  south  and  particularly  his  native 
state.  Realizing  this  and  appreciating  the  fact  that  no  work  relating 
to  American  men  and  institutions  is  worthy  of  consideration  unless 
it  rises  above  sectionalism  and  locality,  he  has  preferred  to  submit, 
as  an  impartial  analysis  of  the  character  of  Robert  E.  Lee,  the  opinion 
of  an  eminent  northern  historian,  James  Ford  Rhodes  of  Boston, 
Massachusetts.  In  reply  to  the  writer's  request  for  permission  to 
make  the  quotation,  Mr.  Rhodes  not  only  very  graciously  granted  it, 
but  also  stated  that  he  had  written  the  opinion  nineteen  years  ago 
and  that  subsequent  investigation  had  only  confirmed  his  early 
convictions. 


H 


z; 
z 


e5 


w 

w 

« 
m 
o 
Pi 

J 
o 
o 


MARTHA   WASHINGTON   AND   HER   CHILDREN.  227 

The  Confederates  had  an  advantage  in  that  Robert  E.  Lee  espoused  their 
cause;  to  some  extent  appreciated  at  the  time,  this  in  reality  was  an  advantage 
beyond  computation.  Had  he  followed  the  example  of  Scott  and  Thomas,  and 
remained  in  service  under  the  old  flag,  in  active  command  of  the  army  of  the 
Potomac,  how  differently  might  events  have  turned  out ! 

Lee,  now  fifty-four  years  old,  his  face  exhibiting  the  ruddy  glow  of  health  and 
his  head  without  a  gray  hair,  was  physically  and  morally  a  splendid  example  of 
manhood.  Able  to  trace  his  Uneage  far  back  in  the  mother  country,  he  had  the 
best  blood  of  Virginia  in  his  veins.  The  founder  of  the  Virginia  family,  who  emi- 
grated in  the  time  of  Charles  I,  was  a  cavalier  in  sentiment;  "Light-horse  Harry" 
of  the  revolution  was  the  father  of  Robert  E.  Lee.  Drawing  from  a  knightly  race 
all  their  virtues,  he  had  inherited  none  of  their  vices.  Honest,  sincere,  simple 
magnanimous,  forbearing,  refined,  courteous,  yet  dignified  and  proud,  never  lacking 
self-command,  he  was  in  all  respects  a  true  man.  Graduating  from  West  Point,  his 
life  had  been  exclusively  that  of  a  soldier,  yet  he  had  none  of  the  soldier's  bad  habits. 
He  used  neither  hquor  nor  tobacco,  indulged  rarely  in  a  social  glass  of  wine,  and 
cared  nothing  for  the  pleasures  of  the  table.  He  was  a  good  engineer,  and  under 
General  Scott  had  won  distinction  in  Mexico.  The  work  that  had  fallen  to  his  lot 
he  had  performed  in  a  systematic  manner  and  with  conscientious  care.  "  Duty  is 
the  sublimest  word  in  our  language,"  he  wrote  to  his  son.  Sincerely  religious, 
Providence  to  him  was  a  verity,  and  it  may  be  truly  said  he  walked  with  God. 

A  serious  man,  he  anxiously  watched  from  his  station  in  Texas  the  progress  of 
events  since  Lincoln's  election.  Thinking  "slavery  as  an  institution  a  moral  and 
political  evil,"  having  a  soldier's  devotion  to  his  flag  and  a  warm  attachment  to 
General  Scott,  he  loved  the  Union,  and  it  was  especially  dear  to  him  as  the  fruit  of 
the  mighty  labors  of  Washington.  Although  believing  that  the  South  had  just 
grievances  due  to  the  aggression  of  the  North,  he  did  not  think  these  evils  great 
enough  to  resort  to  the  remedy  of  revolution,  and  to  him  secession  was  nothing  less. 
"Still,"  he  wrote,  in  January,  1861,  "a  Union  that  can  only  be  maintained  by 
swords  and  bayonets,  and  in  which  strife  and  civil  war  are  to  take  the  place  of 
brotherly  love  and  kindness,  has  no  charm  for  me.  ...  If  the  Union  is  dis- 
solved and  the  government  is  disrupted,  I  shall  return  to  my  native  state  and  share 
the  miseries  of  my  people,  and,  save  in  defence,  will  draw  my  sword  on  none. ' ' 
Summoned  to  Washington  by  his  chief,  Lee  had  arrived  there  a  few  days  before  the 
inauguration  of  Lincoln,  and  he  had  to  make  the  decision,  after  the  bombardment 
of  Sumter  and  the  President's  call  for  troops,  whether  he  should  serv^e  the  national 
government  or  Virginia.  The  active  command  of  the  federal  army  with  the  suc- 
cession to  the  chief  place  was  virtually  offered  to  him,  but,  with  his  notiou  of  state 
rights  and  his  allegiance  to  Virginia,  his  decision,  though  it  cost  him  pain  to  make 
it,  could  have  been  no  other  than  it  was.  He  could  not  lead  an  army  of  invasion 
into  his  native  state,  and  after  the  ordinance  of  secession  had  been  passed  by  the 
Virginia  convention  he  resigned  his  position  and  accepted  the  command  of  the 
Virginia  forces. 

Northern  men  may  regret  that  Lee  did  not  see  his  duty  in  the  same  light  as  did 
two  other  Virginians,  Scott  and  Thomas,  but  censure's  voice  upon  the  action  of  such 
a  noble  soul  is  hushed.     A  careful  survey  of  his  character  and  life  must  lead  the 


228  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

student  of  men  and  affairs  to  see  that  the  course  he  took  was,  from  his  point  of  view 
and  judged  by  his  inexorable  and  pure  conscience,  the  path  of  duty  to  which  a  high 
sense  of  honor  called  him.  Could  we  share  the  thoughts  of  that  high-minded  man 
as  he  paced  the  broad  pillared  veranda  of  his  stately  Arlington  house,  his  eyes 
glancing  across  the  river  at  the  flag  of  his  country  waving  above  the  dome  of  the 
Capitol,  and  then  resting  on  the  soil  of  his  native  Virginia,  we  should  be  wilUng  now 
to  recognize  in  him  one  of  the  finest  products  of  American  life.  For  surely,  as  the 
years  go  on,  we  shall  see  that  such  a  life  can  be  judged  by  no  partisan  measure,  and 
we  shall  come  to  look  upon  him  as  the  English  of  our  day  regard  Washington,  whom 
little  more  than  a  century  ago  they  delighted  to  call  a  rebel.  Indeed  in  all  essential 
characteristics  Lee  resembled  Washington,  and  had  the  great  work  of  his  life  been 
crowned  with  success  or  had  he  chosen  the  winning  side,  the  world  would  have 
acknowledged  that  Virginia  could  in  a  century  produce  two  men  who  were  the 
embodiment  of  public  and  private  virtue. 

The  contemplation  of  Lee's  course  at  the  parting  of  the  ways  has  another 
lesson  for  us  of  the  North ;  it  should  teach  us  to  regard  with  the  utmost  charity  other 
officers  in  the  army  and  men  in  civil  life  who  either  did  not  believe  in  the  constitu- 
tional right  of  secession  or  in  the  expediency  of  exercising  it,  yet  who  deemed  it  the 
path  of  duty  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  their  states  when  they,  in  the  parlance  of 
the  day,  resumed  their  full  sovereign  powers. 

Woodlawn  and  Arlington,  w^ith  their  tradition  and  their  history, 
stand  as  monuments  to  the  memory  of  the  adopted  children  of  George 
Washington,  and  in  their  association  form  a  trinity  vi^ith  the  home  of 
the  "Father  of  His  Country';"  fit  objects  for  the  veneration  of  all 
the  people  of  all  the  states  of  the  Union. 

MRS.  MARTHA  WASHINGTON.  HER  CHILDREN  AND  GRANDCHILDREN 

Martha  Dandridge,  daughter  of  Colonel  John  and  Frances  Jones 
Dandridge,  married,  first  Colonel  Daniel  Parke  Custis,  of  New  Kent 
County,  Virginia,  in  1749.  Colonel  Custis  died  in  1757,  and  on  the 
6th  of  January,  1759,  his  widow^  married  a  second  husband,  Colonel 
George  Washington  of  Mount  Vernon,  Fairfax  County,  Virginia. 
By  her  first  husband  (Custis),  Mrs.  Washington  had  four  children: 

Frances  and  Daniel  Parke  Custis,  bom  at  the  White  House  on  the  Pamunkey 
River  in  New  Kent  Coxmty,  Virginia;  died  yoimg;  biuied  in  Bruton  churchyard, 
Williamsburg,  Virginia. 

John  Parke  Custis,  born  at  the  White  House,  New  Kent  County,  1753;  died 
at  Eltham,  home  of  his  mother's  sister,  Mrs.  Basset,  in  New  Kent  County,  November 
5,  1 78 1,  buried  at  Eltham. 

Martha  Parke  Custis,  bom  at  the  White  House,  New  Kent  County,  1756;  died 
at  Mount  Vernon,  June  19,  1773;  buried  at  Mount  Vernon. 


r 


MARTHA   WASHINGTON   AND   HER   CHH^DREN.  229 

John  Parke  Custis,  son  of  IMrs.  Martha  Washington  by  her  first  husband, 
married  Eleanor  Calvert,  daughter  of  Benedict  Calvert,  of  Mount  Airy,  Maryland, 
February  3,  1774.     Of  this  union  there  were  born  four  children: 

First,  Elizabeth  Parke  Custis,  bom  at  Abingdon,  near  Alexandria,  Virginia, 
August  21,  1776;  married  Mr.  Thomas  Law. 

Second,  Martha  Parke  Custis,  bom  at  Abingdon,  December  3  ist,  1777;  married 
Mr.  Thomas  Peter. 

Third,  Eleanor  (Nellie)  Parke  Custis,  bom  at  Abingdon,  March  21,  1779; 
married  Major  Lawrence  Lewis,  February  22, 1799;  died  at  Audley,  Clarke  County, 
Virginia,  July  15,  1852;  buried  at  Mount  Vernon,  July  19,  1852.  Her  husband, 
Major  Lewis,  died  at  Arlington,  November  20,  1839;  buried  in  family  vault  at 
Mount  Vernon,  November  23,  1839. 

Fourth,  George  Washington  Parke  Custis,  born  at  Mount  Airy,  April  30, 
1781;  married  Mary  Lee  Fitzhugh  in  1804;  died  at  Arlington  in  1857.  His  wife 
died  at  Arlington,  April  23,  1853.     Both  buried  at  Arlington. 

George  Washington  Parke  Custis'  only  surviving  child,  Mary,  married 
Colonel  Robert  E.  Lee. 


2 

O 
H 
O 
2 

1—1 

W 

< 

W 

o 


2 

O 

o 

2 
S 

M 
< 


BUSHROD  WASHINGTON  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS 
AT  MOUNT  VERNON 

^HE  children  of  Mrs.  Mary  Washington  did  not  remain 
long  under  the  paternal  roof  after  reaching  maturity. 
Indeed  most  of  them,  before  that  time,  established 
their  residences  in  different  sections  of  the  Common- 
wealth. 

Her  eldest  son,  George,  was  sent  to  Wakefield  to 
live  with  his  half-brother,  Augustine,  soon  after  the  death  of  his 
father,  afterwards  moving  to  Mount  Vernon  with  his  elder  half- 
brother,  Lawrence. 

Charles  and  Samuel  first  temporarily  located  in  Westmoreland 
County,  but  about  1768  or  1769  moved  to  the  Valley  of  Virginia  and 
settled  in  Berkeley  (now  Jefferson)  County,  West  Virginia,  where 
they  erected  two  manor  houses,  "Harewood"  and  "Mordington." 
They  soon  became  prominent  in  the  public  affairs  of  their  adopted 
county  and  for  a  number  of  years  were  recognized  as  among  its  leading 
citizens. 

In  1786  Colonel  Charles  and  several  associates  founded  the  city 
of  Charlestown,  which  was  located  on  his  land  and  bears  the  Christian 
name  of  its  founder.  Colonel  Samuel  was  vestryman  in  Norborne 
Parish,  and  a  member  of  the  Justice  Court  in  1771.  He  was  also 
county  lieutenant,  but  resigned  that  position  to  enter  the  revolu- 
tionary army. 

The  only  surviving  daughter,  Betty,  married  Colonel  Fielding 
Lewis  and  resided  in  Fredericksburg,  while  John  Augustine,  when  but 
eighteen  years  of  age,  about  1754,  located  at  Mount  Vernon  with  his 
brother  George.  During  Colonel  Washington's  engagements  in  the 
French  and  Indian  War,  John  A.  acted  as  superintendent  of  the 
Mount  Vernon  farm,  and  the  two  brothers,  when  the  Colonel  was  not 
in  active  service,  kept  "bachelor's  hall"  at  that  place. 

On  April  14, 1756,  John  Augustine  married  Miss  Hannah  Bushrod, 
daughter  of  Colonel  John  Bushrod  of  Westmoreland  County,  and  the 
young  couple  spent  the  first  two  years  of  their  married  life  at  their 
brother's  farm,  but  later,  about  August,  1758,  they  moved  to  West- 
moreland and  settled  on  Nomini  Creek. 

231 


232  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

Ow-ing  to  this  condition,  the  Washington  brothers  and  sister, 
widely  separated,  were  not  often  brought  in  personal  contact.  Never- 
theless, the  deepest  affection  appears  to  have  existed  between  them 
all,  and  it  would  be  mere  conjecture  and  unfair  to  assert  positively 
that  the  General  was  partial  to  any,  as  some  have  maintained,  except 
for  the  reason  given  in  the  first  clause  of  his  will,  which  afifords  a  moral 
and  is  worthy  of  particular  attention.  It  indicates  the  firmness  and 
consistency  of  George  Washington's  friendship  when  once  formed  and 
shows  how  seriously  he  regarded  even  a  tentative  promise  when  once 
given. 

To  my  nephew,  Bushrod  Washington,  and  his  heirs  (partly  in  consideration  of 
an  intimation  to  his  deceased  father,  while  we  were  bachelors  and  he  had  kindly 
undertaken  to  superintend  my  estate,  during  my  military  services  in  the  former 
war  between  Great  Britain  and  France,  that  if  I  should  fall  therein  Mount  Vernon 
(then  less  extensive  in  domain  than  at  present)  should  become  his  property)  I  give 
and  bequeath  all  that  part  which  is  comprehended  within  the  following  limits,  etc. 

For  over  forty  years  he  had  borne  this  promise  in  mind  and  at 
last  had  discharged  his  volimtary  obligation  to  the  worthy  son  of  the 
companion  of  his  youth. 

Judge  Bushrod  Washington,  who  inherited  ]Mount  Vernon  man- 
sion and  four  thousand  acres  of  land  immediately  surrounding  it 
from  his  distinguished  uncle,  was  the  eldest  son  of  John  Augustine 
and  Hannah  Bushrod  Washington  and  was  born  at  Bushfield,  the 
home  of  his  parents  on  Nomini  Creek  in  Westmoreland  County, 
Virginia,  Jime  5,  1762. 

Bushrod  Washington  was  truly  one  of  America's  obscure  great 
men,  whose  intrinsic  worth  was  fully  understood  and  appreciated  only 
by  his  intimate  associates.  Of  a  modest  and  retiring  disposition,  he 
cared  nothing  for  the  pomp  and  show  of  public  life,  and,  when  not 
engaged  in  ofiicial  duties,  sought  the  seclusion  and  quiet  association 
of  his  family  circle. 

After  graduating  in  the  classical  branches  at  William  and  Mary 
College  in  1778,  he  took  up  the  study  of  law  and,  through  the  influence 
of  General  Washington,  secured  a  position  in  the  ofiice  of  the  Honor- 
able James  Wilson,  one  of  Pennsylvania's  most  distinguished  attor- 
neys. Here  he  was  carefully  and  thoroughly  prepared  for  his  chosen 
profession. 

On  completing  his  law  coiu-se,  he  practised  for  a  short  while  with 
only  moderate  success  in  his  native  county,  which  he  represented  in 
the  General  Assembly  in  1787  and  also  in  the  convention  which  rati- 


BUSHROD   WASHINGTON   AND   HIS   SUCCESSORS.  233 

fied  the  Federal  Constitution  in  1788.  He  subsequently  moved  to 
Alexandria  and,  failing  to  acquire  a  satisfactory  clientage  in  that  city, 
transferred  his  residence  to  Richmond,  Virginia,  where  he  soon  built 
up  a  lucrative  practice  and  in  time  became  one  of  the  leading  lawyers 
at  the  Virginia  Bar. 

In  1785,  prior  to  his  removal  from  Westmoreland,  Mr.  Wash- 
ington married  Miss  Anne  Blackburn,  daughter  of  Colonel  Thomas 
Blackburn  of  Rippon  Lodge,  Prince  WilUam  County  (see  illustrated 
map).  Soon  after  his  marriage  his  wife's  health  became  impaired 
as  the  result  of  a  shock  occasioned  by  the  sudden  death  of  her  sister 
under  peculiarly  distressing  circumstances.  From  this  she  never 
entirely  recovered  and,  until  the  day  of  his  death.  Judge  Washington 
was  unceasing  in  his  tender  and  affectionate  attention  to  his  afhicted 
wife.  So  constant  was  he  in  his  care  for  the  invalid  that  for  many 
years  he  was  lovingly  referred  to,  by  ladies  of  his  acquaintance,  as  a 
"model  husband." 

The  death  of  Judge  Wilson  in  1797  left  a  vacancy  in  the  Supreme 
Court,  and  it  is  a  curious  coincidence  that  the  man  selected  by  Presi- 
dent Adams  to  fill  the  place  was  the  former  pupil  of  the  deceased 
judge.  Mr.  Adam's  first  choice  was  John  Marshall,  and  upon  Mr. 
Marshall  decUning  to  accept  the  appointment  he  immediately  desig- 
nated Air.  Washington  to  fiU  the  position  formerly  occupied  by  his 
legal  preceptor. 

In  writing  to  Mr.  Pickering,  Secretary  of  State,  Mr.  Adams  says : 

General  Marshall  or  Bushrod  Washington  will  succeed  Judge  Wilson.  Marshall 
is  first  in  age,  rank  and  public  service,  probably  not  second  in  talents.  The  char- 
acter, the  merit  and  abilities  of  Mr.  Washington  are  greatly  respected,  but  I  think 
General  Marshall  ought  to  be  preferred.  Of  the  three  envoys  (to  France)  the 
conduct  of  Marshall  alone  has  been  entirely  satisfactory,  and  ought  to  be  marked 
by  the  most  decided  approbation  of  the  pubUc.  He  has  raised  the  American  people 
in  their  own  esteem,  and,  if  the  influence  of  truth  and  justice,  reason  and  argument, 
is  not  lost  in  Europe,  he  has  raised  the  consideration  of  the  United  States  in  that 
quarter  of  the  world.  If  Mr.  Marshall  should  decline,  I  should  next  think  of  l^Ir. 
Washington. 

Mr.  Marshall  did  decline  and  the  President  immediately  com- 
missioned Mr.  Washington  (1798).  The  resignation  of  Chief  Justice 
Oliver  Ellsworth  in  1800  left  a  vacancy  in  that  position,  which  IMr. 
Adams  filled  by  the  nomination  of  General  Marshall  ( Januar}^  20, 1 801 ) . 
Thus  began,  almost  at  the  same  time,  the  judicial  careers  of  two  of 
the  greatest,  if  not  the  two  greatest  American  jurists,  and  the  asso- 


234  WASHINGTON  THE   MAN  AND  THB   MASON. 

ciation  lasted  unbroken  for  a  period  of  nearly  thirty  years  until  the 
death  of  Judge  Washington  in  1829.  Probably  no  act  of  Jolin 
Adams,  in  his  long  and  brilliant  career,  redounds  more  to  his  credit 
or  has  produced  more  lasting  benefit  to  his  country  than  the  appoint- 
ment of  these  two  men  to  the  Supreme  Bench. 

David  Paul  Brown  says  of  Mr.  Washington  that,  "He  was  per- 
haps the  greatest  Nisi  Prius  Judge  that  the  world  has  ever  known 
without  even  excepting  Chief  Justice  Holt  or  Lord  Mansfield,"  and 
adds,  "This  appointment  and  that  which  speedily  followed,  the  Chief 
Justiceship  of  John  Marshall,  were  enough  in  themselves  to  secure  a 
lasting  obligation  of  the  country  to  the  appointing  power." 

Another  distinguished  contemporary.  Judge  Story,  says : 

For  thirty -one  years  he  held  the  important  station,  with  a  constantly  increasing 
reputation  and  usefulness.  Few  men,  indeed,  have  possessed  higher  qualifications 
for  the  office,  either  natural  or  acquired.  Few  men  have  left  deeper  traces,  in  their 
judicial  career,  of  everything  which  a  conscientious  judge  ought  to  propose  for  his 
ambition,  or  his  virtue,  or  his  glory.  His  mind  was  solid,  rather  than  brilliant; 
sagacious  and  searching,  rather  than  quick  and  eager;  slow,  but  not  torpid;  steady, 
but  not  unyielding;  comprehensive,  and  at  the  same  time,  cautious;  patient  in 
inquiry,  forcible  in  conception,  clear  in  reasoning.  He  was,  by  original  temperament, 
mild,  conciUating,  and  candid ;  and  yet,  he  was  remarkable  for  an  uncompromising 
firmness. 

Judge  Binney,  who  practised  in  his  court  for  twenty  years  and 
was  afterwards  associated  with  him  on  the  Bench  writes : 

His  mind  full,  his  elocution  free,  clear  and  accirrate,  his  command  of  all  about 
him  indisputable.  ...  He  was  eminent  from  the  outset  and  in  a  short  time 
became  in  my  apprehension  as  accomplished  nisi  prius  Judge  as  ever  hved.  I 
have  never  seen  a  judge  who  in  this  specialty  equalled  him.  I  cannot  conceive  a 
better.  Judging  of  Lord  Mansfield's  great  powers  at  Nisi  Prius,  by  the  accounts 
which  have  been  transmitted  to  us,  I  do  not  believe  that  even  he  surpassed  Judge 
Washington. 

Judge  Hopkinson  declares: 

Very  few  men  who  have  been  distinguished  on  the  judgment  seat  of  the  law 
have  possessed  higher  qualifications,  natural  and  acquired,  for  the  station  than 
Judge  Washington.  ...  He  was  wise  as  well  as  learned;  sagacious  and 
searching  in  his  pursuit  and  discovery  of  truth  and  faithful  to  it  beyond  the  touch  of 
corruption  or  the  diffidence  of  fear.  ...  He  was  too  honest  and  too  proud 
to  surrender  himself  to  the  undue  influence  of  any  man,  the  menaces  of  any  power 
or  the  seductions  of  any  interest,  but  he  was  as  tractable  as  humiUty  to  the  force  of 
truth,  as  obedient  as  filial  duty  to  the  voice  of  reason.     .     .     . 


BUSHROD    WASHINGTON   AND   HIS   SUCCESSORS.  235 

Such  encomiums  from  eminent  sources  cannot  fail  to  impress 
the  reader  with  the  abihty  of  Bushrod  Washington  as  a  judge  and 
with  his  intrinsic  worth  as  a  man  and  a  citizen. 

Under  the  will  of  General  Washington,  Judge  Bushrod  came  in 
possession  of  his  Mount  Vernon  bequest  immediately  after  the  death 
of  his  aunt  in  1802,  but  it  is  highly  probable  that  he  did  not  personally 
occupy  the  premises  for  some  time  after  that  date  or  until  the  com- 
pletion of  Woodlawn,  the  residence  of  Lawrence  Lewis  and  wife,  which 
was  then  in  process  of  erection. 

While  the  judge  cherished  his  famous  legacy  above  all  his  earthly 
possessions,  it  proved,  from  a  financial  standpoint,  to  be  rather  an 
encumbrance  than  a  source  of  profit,  as  the  cost  of  maintaining  the 
place  amounted,  according  to  his  own  statement,  to  from  five  hundred 
to  a  thousand  dollars  a  year  over  and  above  the  receipts  therefrom. 
This  deficit,  which  was  drawn  from  other  resources,  the  judge  never 
complained  of,  but  preserved  the  premises  with  almost  filial  affection 
during  his  entire  life. 

He  died  while  attending  court  in  Philadelphia,  November  26, 
1829,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven,  and  his  wife  died  the  day  following. 
The  shock  produced  by  the  death  of  her  husband  was  too  great  for 
her  delicate  constitution,  and  in  a  few  hours  she  succumbed  under  the 
death-deahng  strain  of  her  affliction.  Their  remains  were  removed 
to  Mount  Vernon  and  deposited  in  the  family  vault  at  the  same  time. 

Judge  Washington,  like  his  famous  uncle,  left  no  children.  In 
his  will,  proved  in  Fairfax  County,  December  21,  1829,  he  devised 
the  mansion  and  about  twelve  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  of  the 
land  adjoining  it  to  his  nephew,  John  A.  Washington.  The  rest  and 
residue  of  the  estate  he  divided  between  his  nephews,  Bushrod,  George 
C,  and  Bushrod  C.  Washington,  and  his  niece,  Mary  Lee  Herbert. 

This  John  A.  Washington  to  whom  Judge  Bushrod  bequeathed 
Mount  Vernon  was  the  son  of  his  (Bushrod 's)  brother  Corbin  and 
his  wife  Hannah,  daughter  of  Honorable  Richard  Henry  Lee  of 
Chantilly,  Westmoreland  County,  Virginia.  He  was  bom  in  1792 
and  in  1814  married  Jane  Charlotte,  daughter  of  Major  Richard 
Scott  Blackburn  of  the  United  States  Army.  At  the  time  he  came 
into  possession  of  his  famous  legacy,  he  resided  on  an  estate  called 
"Blakely"  in  Jefferson  County,  now  West  Virginia.  He  died  on 
June  16,  1832,  aged  forty-eight,  and  his  will,  dated  July  8,  1830,  was 
proved  in  Court  in  Jefferson  County,  July  16,  1832. 

John  A.  Washington  bequeathed  his  entire  estate  to  his  wife, 


236  WASHINGTON  THB   MAN   AND  THE   MASON. 

Mrs.  Jane  C.  Washington,  with  power  to  divide  his  property  amongst 
their  children  in  any  way  she  might  think  proper,  and  in  a  codicil  he 
permitted  his  wife  to  sell  Mount  Vernon  property  or  any  part  thereof 
to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States. 

His  widow  (Mrs.  Jane  C),  in  conformity  to  the  provisions  of  her 
husband's  will,  gave  Mount  Vernon  bequest  to  their  son,  Jolin  A. 
(September  18,  1849),  during  her  Ufetime.  Some  question  arising  as 
to  the  validity  of  the  title  to  the  property  acquired  by  her  son,  John 
A.,  in  this  manner,  by  advice  of  counsel  she  confirmed  the  deed  of 
gift  in  her  will. 

Mrs.  Jane  Washington,*  the  motherly  old  lady  shown  in  the 
famuy  group,  was  widely  known  for  her  gentle  manner  and  benevo- 
lent spirit.  She  died  in  1855,  and  her  remains  were  the  last  to  be 
interred  in  the  family  vault  at  Mount  Vernon. 

Colonel  John  A.  Washington,  grand-nephew  of  Bushrod  and  the 
last  private  owner  of  Mount  Vernon,  was  bom  at  Blakely ,  the  residence 
of  his  father,  May  3,  182 1,  and  in  February,  1842,  married  Eleanor 
Love,  daughter  of  Wilson  Carey  Seldon  of  Exeter,  Loudoun  County, 
Virginia. 

There  are  a  number  of  people  living  in  and  around  Alexandria 
who  remember  Colonel  Washington,  and  who  testify  to  his  generous, 
noble  nature.  He  was  a  true  type  of  the  old  regime  and,  although  his 
death  occurred  more  than  fifty  years  ago,  his  genial  disposition  has 
left  an  impress  upon  the  community  in  which  he  hved,  which  still 
fingers  and  is  fondly  cherished. 

Mr.  Washington,  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  between  the  states, 
enfisted  in  the  Confederate  service  and  became  an  aide  with  the  rank 
of  colonel  on  the  staff  of  General  Robert  E.  Lee  and  was  killed  at 
Cheat  Mountain,  September  13,  1861,  while  conducting  a  reconnois- 
sance  on  the  turnpike  along  Elk  Water  River,  about  nineteen  miles 
northwest  of  Huttonsville,  Randolph  County  (now  West  Virginia). 
It  appears  that  General  Lee  was  uncertain  of  the  location  of  the 
Federal  forces,  and  it  was  in  an  effort  to  obtain  this  information  that 
Mr.  Washington  lost  his  life  by  a  volley  from  a  picket  post.    Colonel 

*The  group  entitled  "Mrs.  Jane  Washing1;on  and  Family"  is  by  Chapman,  the  celebrated 
artist,  who  painted  the  "Baptism  of  Pocahontas"  in  the  rotmida  of  the  Capitol.  The  young  lady 
standing  on  the  right  of  Mrs.  Washington,  holding  a  musical  instrument,  is  her  daughter,  Anne 
Maria  Washington,  who  married  Dr.  Wm.  F.  Alexander.  On  Mrs.  Washington's  left  is  her  son, 
Richard  Blackburn  Washington;  the  young  man  standing  on  the  extreme  right  is  John  A.  Wash- 
ington, the  last  private  owner,  while  the  little  boy  standing  at  Mrs.  Washington's  knee  is  Noblet 
Herbert,  a  descendant  of  Major  John  Carlyle. 


MRS.  JANE  WASIII.XGTO.X  AND  FAMILY. 


BUSHROD    WASHINGTON    AND   HIS    SUCCESSORS.  237 

Washington,  it  would  seem,  was  the  only  man  struck.  His  detach, 
ment  retreated,  and  Colonel  J.  H.  INIorrow  of  the  39th  Regiment  Ohio 
V^olunteers  appearing  on  the  scene,  made  an  effort  to  relieve  the 
fallen  officer,  but  his  wound  was  mortal  and  he  died  in  a  few  minutes 
with  his  head  resting  on  Colonel  Morrow's  lap,  without  gaining  con- 
sciousness. Mr.  Washington  was  forty  years  of  age  at  the  time  of 
his  death.  His  remains  were  first  buried  in  Fauquier  County,  Vir- 
ginia, but  afterwards  removed  to  the  family  buiyang  ground  at 
Charles  town,  now  West  Virginia.  In  the  illustration,  with  liis  father, 
will  be  seen  Mr.  Lawrence  Washington,  who  is  the  only  living  male 
member  of  the  family  born  at  Alount  Vernon.     (See  next  page). 

Colonel  Jolm  A.  Washington  came  into  possession  of  Mount 
Vernon  by  deed  from  his  mother  in  1S50,  and  upon  him  devolved  not 
only  the  vexed  problem  of  maintaining  the  estate  in  proper  condition 
under  trying  circumstances  but  its  final  disposition  in  a  manner 
best  calculated  for  its  future  preserv^ation.  Agricultural  conditions 
had  materially  changed  since  the  time  of  its  early  occupants.  The 
opening  of  the  great  west  with  its  fertile  fields  and  the  improved  trans- 
portation facilities  had  lowered  the  price  of  agricultural  products, 
while  the  constant  drain  on  the  land  of  the  Mount  Vernon  farm,  in 
an  effort  to  meet  current  expenses,  had  greatly  impoverished  the  soil 
and  reduced  its  earning  capacity.  Coupled  with  this  was  the  custom 
of  keeping  open  house,  of  dispensing  that  unbounded  hospitality 
which,  while  it  gave  to  the  landlords  of  the  Old  Dominion  an  enviable 
reputation,  at  times  led  to  financial  difficulty  and  too  often  to  abject 
poverty.  Mr.  Washington's  was  a  particularly  distressing  con- 
dition. He  had  been  reared  in  the  social  atmosphere  described  above 
and  knew  no  other  code,  and,  to  add  to  his  embarrassment,  he  had 
inlierited  the  most  distinguished  homestead  in  America,  which  at- 
tracted countless  visitors.  ISIany  came  tlirough  sheer  curiosity,  and 
most  of  them  were  utter  strangers  to  their  host  and  had  no  claim  on 
his  good  natured  generosity.  Thus,  day  by  day,  the  problem  of  pre- 
serving his  beloved  inheritance  from  total  ruin  became  more  and 
more  serious. 

Reahzing  the  owner's  embarrassment,  enterprising  speculators, 
prompted  by  a  spirit  of  cupidity,  endeavored  to  secure  the  mansion 
with  its  adjoining  land  for  mercenar}"  purposes,  and  tempting  offers 
were  made  to  the  devoted  proprietor,  all  of  which  he  rejected  with 
commendable  firmness.* 


*Col.  Washington  was  oflfered  $300,000  for  the  property  he  sold  to  the  Mount  Vernon 
Association  for  $200,000. 


238  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

Foreseeing  the  difficulty  of  a  private  individual  keeping  up  the 
place,  John  A.  Washington,  the  elder,  had  wisely  provided  for  the 
disposal  of  the  property  to  the  United  States,  should  Congress  desire 
to  possess  it,  and  at  this  juncture  a  proposal  was  made  to  the  National 
Assembly  to  buy  the  property  and  preserve  it  for  the  American  people. 

Not  once,  but  several  times  was  the  matter  brought  to  the 
attention  of  Congress,  with  the  most  flattering  inducements  to  pur- 
chase. So  anxious,  indeed,  were  the  owners  that  the  estate  should  be 
owned  and  cared  for  by  the  government  that,  just  after  the  Alexican 
War,  the  mansion  with  one  thousand  acres  of  land  was  offered  for 
thirty  thousand  dollars,  without  avail.  It  was  then  proposed  that 
the  legislature  of  Virginia  buy  the  estate,  and  on  December  5,  1853, 
and  again  in  1855,  Governor  Johnson  in  separate  messages  to  the 
General  Assembly  urged  its  purchase  and  complete  restoration  by 
the  Commonwealth. 

These  patriotic  appeals  were  also  fruitless,  and  the  prospects  for  a 
satisfactory  disposition  of  the  estate  were  gloomy  indeed.  It  was 
at  this  crucial  period,  when  hope  for  the  preservation  of  the  beloved 
homestead  had  almost  fled ;  when  all  efforts  to  enlist  the  co-operation 
of  state  or  Federal  Government  had  failed;  when  the  nation  he  had 
founded  and  the  state  of  his  nativity,  whose  histor}'-  he  had  exalted 
and  on  whose  soU  his  sacred  ashes  rest,  had  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the 
appeals  of  justice  and  right  and  were  thoughtlessly  permitting  the 
home  of  Washington  to  fall  into  abject  and  hopeless  ruin,  that  Ann 
Pamela  Cunningham,  of  South  Carohna,  that  land  of  sentiment  and 
chivalry,  from  her  invalid  couch  started  a  movement  which  aroused 
a  latent  force  more  potent  and  powerful  than  the  manhood  of  America 
or  the  government  itself — the  patriotic  zeal  and  indomitable  energy 
of  the  American  woman. 

We  cannot  enter  into  a  full  detail  of  the  work  of  these  devoted 
women,  led  on  by  the  heroic  invalid  from  the  "Palmetto  State,"  but 
refer  our  readers  with  pleasure  to  the  splendid  works  entitled  "  History 
and  Preservation  of  INIount  Vernon,"  by  Dr.  Thomas  Nelson  Page, 
and  a  small  booklet  called  "The  Southern  Alatron."  The  reader 
will  not  regret  a  careful  perusal  of  these  little  volumes,  which  not  only 
give  a  full  description  of  the  INIount  Vernon  Ladies'  Association  of  the 
Union  but  a  synopsis  of  the  hves  of  its  founder  and  her  associates,  all 
of  whom  deserve  the  lasting  gratitude  of  the  lovers  of  American  liberty. 

Miss  Cunningham  descended  from  a  family  noted  for  its  patri- 
otism. Her  mother,  Mrs.  Louise  Cunningham,  nee  Byrd,  daughter 
of  William  Byrd,  founder  of  Byrdsborough,  Pennsylvania,  was  born 


BUSHROD   WASHINGTON   AND  HIS   SUCCESSORS.  239 

in  Alexandria,  Virginia,  May  i6,  1794.  Her  grandfather  and  great- 
grandfather, John  Dalton  (business  associate  of  John  Carlyle)  and 
Thomas  Shaw,  were  each  vestrymen  of  Old  Christ  Church  with 
George  Washington,  and  two  of  her  aunts  had  married  distinguished 
Pennsylvanians,  James  Wilson  and  George  Ross,  both  signers  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence.  Mr.  Wilson  afterwards  became  the 
legal  preceptor  of  Bushrod  Washington  and  later  still  was  appointed 
by  General  Washington  a  member  of  the  first  Supreme  Court  and,  on 
his  death,  his  pupil,  Mr.  Washington,  succeeded  him  on  the  bench. 
It  was  therefore  particularly  appropriate  that  the  Cunninghams 
should  be  interested  in  the  preservation  of  Mount  Vernon. 

A  solemn  custom  inspired  this  noble  soul  to  conceive  and  organize 
the  Mount  Vernon  Ladies'  Association.  Miss  Cunningham,  reared 
in  a  refined,  aflfluent  circle,  possessing  a  strong  comprehensive  mind 
and  trained  in  the  best  private  schools  of  the  south,  was  as  popular 
as  she  was  prepossessing  and  had  exceptional  prospects  for  a  brilliant 
future,  when  at  the  age  of  nineteen  she  was  stricken  with  an  incurable 
spinal  trouble.  Eminent  physicians  were  consulted  and  every  known 
remedy  applied  by  her  devoted  parents  to  relieve  the  gentle  sufferer, 
but  without  success.  As  a  last  resort,  the  anxious  mother  journeyed 
with  her  afflicted  daughter  from  their  home  in  South  Carolina  to 
Philadelphia  in  order  to  place  her  child  under  the  care  of  a  famous 
specialist. 

On  their  way  up  the  Potomac  River,  while  passing  Mount  Vernon, 
in  conformity  to  an  ancient  custom  the  steamer's  bell  tolled  the 
solemn  notice  that  the  vessel  was  abreast  the  home  of  Washington. 
Mrs.  Cunningham  understood  its  significance  and,  knowing  the  sad 
condition  of  affairs  at  the  beloved  homestead,  imparted  her  melan- 
choly reflections  to  her  invalid  daughter,  expressing  the  wish  or  hope 
that  some  good  woman  would  start  a  movement  amongst  the  women 
of  the  south  to  save  the  venerated  mansion  for  the  people  of  the 
country.  Moved  by  the  suggestion,  the  patient  sufferer,  with  char- 
acteristic determination,  declared,  "  I  will  do  it, "  and  to  this  decision 
she  energetically  adhered,  notwithstanding  the  persistent  efforts  of 
friends  and  associates  to  turn  her  from  her  noble  purpose. 

It  is  a  pity  that  the  name  of  the  boat,  and  all  the  circumstances 
surrounding  that  particular  trip  up  the  beautiful  Potomac  on  that 
moonhght  night  in  1853,  have  not  been  preserved.  It  would  be 
interesting  to  know  the  commander's  name  and  the  name  of  the 
humble  sailor  who  pulled  the  cord  that  sent  out  over  the  still  waters 


240  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN    AND   THE   MASON. 

the  solemn  peal  of  the  steamboat  bell  which  fired  the  soul  of  Ann 
Pamela  Cunningham  and  started  the  movement  that  saved  from  utter 
ruin,  for  a  grateful  posterity,  the  revered  home  of  the  father  of  his 
country. 

The  story  of  the  unselfish  sacrifices  and  ceaseless  efforts  of  IMiss 
Cunningham  and  her  collaborators  to  acquire  and  preserve  this  ines- 
timable treasure  reads  like  a  romance  and  redounds  to  the  everlasting 
glory  of  their  sex. 

Many  years  were  spent  in  ceaseless  toil  and  bitter  disappointment 
after  the  first  note  of  appeal  went  out  from  the  couch  of  the  patient 
invalid.  Time  and  again  the  movement  seemed  on  the  verge  of  col- 
lapse, and  failure  more  than  once  loomed  high  above  the  hopes  and 
dampened  the  ardor  of  the  co-workers  of  Miss  Cunningham.  Yet 
never  for  one  instant  did  she  despair,  nor  for  one  short  moment  did 
she  relax  her  ceaseless  efforts,  until  success  crowned  her  glorious  work 
and  brought  its  rich  reward. 

On  the  3rd  of  December,  1853,  Miss  Cunningham  made  her  first 
appeal  to  the  women  of  the  country,  explaining  her  lofty  purpose  and 
urging  their  co-operation.  In  this  appeal  she  used  the  nom  de  plume, 
"A  Southern  Matron." 

It  appears  that  the  address  was  made  only  to  the  women  of  the 
south,  which  naturally  drew  protests  from  other  parts  of  the  Union. 
"Whatever  else  was  sectional,"  they  said,  "Washington  belonged  to 
the  whole  country,"  and  this  view  the  "Southern  Matron"  readily 
accepted. 

The  first  public  meeting  to  raise  the  fund  was  held  at  Laurens, 
South  Carolina,  Miss  Cunningham's  home,  on  the  26th  of  February, 
1854.  The  next  organized  effort  was  made  in  Richmond,  Virginia, 
July  12,  1854,  when  about  thirty  ladies  assembled  for  the  purpose 
of  forming  an  association  to  raise  money  to  aid  in  purchasing  the 
property. 

Governor  Johnson  was  present  at  this  meeting  and  in  his  address 
referred  to  his  unsuccessful  efforts,  when  a  member  of  Congress,  to 
induce  the  United  States  Government  to  purchase  the  estate,  as  well 
as  his  failure  to  influence  the  legislature  of  Virginia  to  acquire  the 
property.  This  meeting  marked  the  beginning  of  the  active  work  in 
Virginia  and  gave  an  impetus  to  the  movement  in  other  places. 
Associations  were  formed  in  rapid  succession  in  a  number  of  states 
and  funds  for  the  purpose  began  to  pour  in. 

It  was  first  proposed  to  raise  the  money,  purchase  the  property, 


BUSHROD    WASHINGTON   AND    HIS   SUCCESSORS.  24 1 

and  vest  the  title  in  Virginia,  as  trustee  for  the  Association.  This 
plan,  when  understood,  proved  unpopular  with  the  public  and  contri- 
butions ceased.  It  was  maintained  that  if  Virginia  wanted  the  estate 
she  should  buy  and  pay  for  it  by  an  appropriation  out  of  her  own 
funds.  Miss  Cunningham  realized  the  menace  that  suddenly  thrust 
itself  into  the  movement,  but  was  equal  to  the  emergency.  In  this,  as 
in  other  crucial  moments,  she  proved  as  resourceful  as  she  was  perse- 
vering and  at  once  conceived  and  proposed  the  plan  of  not  only 
raising  the  funds  for  the  purchase  of  the  place  but  of  the  ladies  holding 
it  themselves  in  trust  for  the  people  of  America,  and  to  this  end  she 
directed  her  efforts  with  renewed  vigor. 

The  idea  was  novel,  the  press  ridiculed  it  as  chimerical,  and  a 
number  of  prominent  citizens,  among  them  a  distinguished  member 
of  Congress,  endeavored  to  defeat  it.  Mr.  Washington,  in  ignorance 
of  Aliss  Cunningham's  real  purpose,  was  much  perplexed  and  at  first 
refused  absolutely  to  consent  to  the  transfer  of  the  estate  under  the 
altered  conditions.  Miss  Cunningham,  at  great  personal  inconveni- 
ence, visited  Mount  Vernon  and  converted  its  owner  from  determined 
opposition  to  warm  support  of  both  the  character  and  the  object  of 
the  Association. 

This  visit  of  "The  Southern  Matron"  to  Mr.  Washington  prob- 
ably marks  the  period  of  deepest  gloom  for  the  Association,  and  her 
description  of  the  meeting,  full  of  pathos  and  aglow  with  enthusiasm 
in  her  righteous  cause,  is  worthy  of  the  gifted  pen  of  the  heroic  writer: 

Of  course,  we  could  do  nothing  with  the  public  when  they  believed  Mr.  Wash- 
ington would  not  sell.  I  proposed  to  go  to  Mount  Vernon  and  charm  the  bear  (as  I 
thought  him  then).  Mr.  Everett  urged  this.  I  had  not  for  many  years  been  on  a 
railroad — the  motion  made  me  ill.  But  I  found  I  could  get  to  Baltimore  by  canal- 
boat,  from  whence  the  railroad  ride  would  be  short.  Arriving  at  Movmt  Vernon,  I 
was  carried  on  a,  chair  to  the  house  on  an  awfully  hot  day  in  June.  I  saw  the 
famUy;  was  received  kindly — but  all  my  arguments  faUed,  though  Mr.  Washington 
promised  to  meet  me  in  Washington. 

When  I  got  to  the  wharf  the  boat  had  gone  and  left  me !  We  could  just  see  it. 
I  was  put  into  a  sail-boat  and  towed  into  the  stream,  expecting  to  catch  the  mail 
boat,  but  waited  in  vain.  When  I  got  back  to  the  bank  I  was  nearly  dead.  But 
the  moment  I  saw  I  was  left,  I  said,  "Mount  Vernonis  saved!"  I  was  carried  down 
to  the  parlor  at  night.  I  talked  pleasantly,  telhng  of  various  incidents  connected 
with  Mr.  Everett  and  his  Washington  lecture,  and  enlightened  the  famDy  in  a 
roundabout  way  as  to  our  proceedings  and  the  interest  felt.  I  could  see  their 
amazement.  It  was  a  side  of  the  shield  they  had  not  seen.  I  felt  I  had  gained 
Mrs.  Washington. 

I  shook  hands  with  Mr.  Washington;  told  him  it  was  leap-year;  women  were 


242  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

bound  to  have  their  way.  He  might  resist  with  all  his  might,  but  I  knew  I  was  to 
be  victor,  and  must  coimsel  him  to  follow  the  example  of  his  illustrious  ancestor, 
who  never  acted  on  a  grave  affair  without  having  slept  on  it.  Next  morning  I  had 
a  regular  talk.  The  spirit  moved  me  as  never  before.  I  never  spoke  to  mortal  as 
I  spoke  to  him.  I  told  him  the  isles  of  the  sea  would  send  their  tributes  to  Mount 
Vernon ;  that  he  woidd  Uve  to  see  it,  though  I  would  not.  (We  both  did,  for  Havana 
and  the  Sandwich  Islands  both  sent  contributions.) 

When  I  saw  I  could  not  shake  his  resolution  allowing  Virginia  to  buy  Mount 
Vernon,  for  he  was  very  indignant  at  that,  and  considered  it  would  be  mean  for 
Virginia  to  accept  the  purchase  money,  I  went  so  far  as  to  point  to  him  the  hght  in 
which  coming  generations  would  view  his  conduct  in  preventing  our  tribute  to 
Washington.  I  told  him  his  descendants  would  mourn  having  descended  from  him, 
and  I  dared  say  this  because  I  felt  that  I,  by  starting  this  movement,  had  been 
instrumental  in  placing  him  in  this  impleasant  position.  He  thanked  me ;  said  he 
knew  it;  but  he  was  as  firm  as  a  rock,  though  he  was  deeply  moved.  I  could  see 
that  he  realized  his  real  attitude,  and  felt  it  sorely. 

The  carriage  was  waiting — I  had  to  go — the  cause  was  gone !  I  ttu-ned  to  him, 
mournfully  expressed  my  grief,  but  said  that  I  could  not  leave  him  without  putting 
myself  in  proper  position.  I  told  him  I  knew  the  pubUc  had  behaved  abominably  to- 
ward him ;  that  the  Virginia  Legislature  had  done  so  also,  in  framing  a  charter  contrary 
to  the  terms  he  had  expressed  himself  willing  to  accept ;  that,  apprehensive  of  this, 
I  had  tried  to  get  the  address  of  the  governor,  to  find  in  what  way  he  intended  to 
present  the  subject  to  the  legislature.  The  governor  was  traveUng  in  West  Virginia, 
and  could  not  be  communicated  with  in  time — thus  we  had  lost  eighteen  months  in 
inaction  and  delay.  Could  I  have  succeeded,  matters  would  have  taken  a  different 
form.  That  as  soon  as  I  saw  a  draft  of  the  charter  I  realized  that  it  was  not  what 
would  be  agreeable  to  Mr.  Washington.  I  assured  him  that  I  believed  all  the  ladies 
concerned  felt  as  I  did.  While  we  wished  to  succeed  in  our  beautiful  tribute,  we 
were  grieved  that  his  feelings  were  hurt — insulted — so  repeatedly  because  of  it.  I 
looked  up  to  him  as  I  said  this.     WTiat  a  change  in  his  face! 

Unawares  I  had  at  last  touched  the  "sore  spot" — the  obstacle  no  money 
could  have  removed. 

I  now  found  that  he  beUeved  the  whole  thing  had  been  arranged  between  the 
Association  and  Virginia  to  put  an  indignity  upon  him! 

His  feelings  were  wounded,  goaded;  and  lol  in  explaining  my  feelings  I  had 
shown  him  his  error. 

I  then  told  him  if  he  would  consent  to  overcome  minor  objections,  that  I  would 
prove  to  the  country  the  position  of  the  Association  by  going  before  the  next  legis- 
lature and  asking  it  to  make  any  change  he  required ;  but  he  must  let  the  Association 
pay  the  money,  and  not  feel  that  his  state  or  himself  were  lowered  by  the  act. 

I  held  out  my  hand — he  put  his  in  mine;  then,  with  quivering  hps,  moist  eyes, 
and  a  heart  too  full  to  speak,  our  compact  was  closed  in  silence.   .    .    . 

None  but  God  can  know  the  mental  labor  and  physical  suffering  Mount 
Vernon  has  cost  me! 

On  March  19,  1858,  after  numerous  failures  to  arrive  at  a  satis- 
factory adjustment  of  the  knotty  problem,  the  legislature  of  Virginia, 


MISS  ANN  PAMELA  CUNNINGHAM. 


BUSHROD   WASHINGTON   AND   HIS   SUCCESSORS,  243 

at  last  satisfied  with  the  nature  of  the  corporation,  passed  the  act 
incorporating  the  Mount  Vernon  Ladies'  Association  of  the  Union, 
previous  to  which  Mr.  Washington  had  signed  the  contract,  accepting 
the  conditions  of  the  charter. 

CHARTER 

I.  Be  it  enacted  by  the  General  Assembly,  That  the  act  entitled  an  act  to  incor- 
porate the  Mount  Vernon  Ladies'  Association  of  the  Union,  and  to  authorize  the 
purchase  of  a  part  of  Mount  Vernon,  passed  March  17,  1856,  be  amended  and  re- 
enacted  so  as  to  read  as  follows : 

Section  i  .  The  Mount  Vernon  Ladies'  Association  of  the  Union  as  heretofore 
organized  shall  be,  and  they  are,  hereby  constituted  a  body,  politic  and  corporate, 
under  the  name  and  style  of  the  Mount  Vernon  Ladies'  Association  of  the  Union; 
and  by  this  name  and  style  shall  be  subject  to  all  the  provisions  and  entitled  to  all 
the  rights,  powers,  privileges,  and  immunities  prescribed  by  existing  laws,  in  so  far 
as  the  same  are  applicable  to  like  corporations,  and  not  inconsistent  with  this  act. 

Section  2.  It  shall  be  lawful  for  the  said  Mount  Vernon  Ladies'  Association 
of  the  Union  to  purchase,  hold  and  improve  two  hundred  acres  of  Mount  Vernon, 
including  the  late  mansion,  as  well  as  the  tomb  of  George  Washington,  together  with 
the  garden,  grounds,  and  wharf  and  landing  now  constructed  on  the  Potomac  River ; 
and  to  this  end  they  may  receive  from  the  owner  and  proprietor  of  the  said  land  a 
deed  in  fee  simple;  and  shall  have  and  exercise  full  power  over  the  use  and  manage- 
ment of  the  same  as  they  may  by  By-Laws  and  Rules  declare : 

Provided,  however.  That  the  said  Mount  Vernon  Ladies'  Association  of  the  Union 
shall  not  have  power  to  alien  the  said  land,  or  any  part  thereof,  or  to  create  a  charge 
thereon  or  to  lease  the  same  without  the  consent  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia 
first  had  and  obtained. 

Section  3.  The  capital  stock  of  the  said  Moimt  Vernon  Ladies'  Association  of 
the  Union  shall  not  (including  the  two  hundred  acres  of  land  aforesaid)  exceed  the 
sum  of  five  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  said  association,  in  contracting  with 
the  proprietor  of  Mount  Vernon  for  the  purchase  of  the  same,  may  covenant  with 
him  so  as  to  reserve  to  hira  the  right  to  inter  the  remains  of  such  persons  whose 
remains  are  in  the  vault  at  Mount  Vernon,  as  are  not  now  interred,  and  to  place 
the  said  vault  in  such  a  secure  and  permanent  condition  as  he  shall  see  fit,  and  to 
enclose  the  same  so  as  not  to  include  more  than  a  half -acre  of  land;  and  the  said 
vault,  the  remains,  in  and  around  it,  and  the  inclosure  shall  never  be  removed  nor 
disturbed;  nor  shall  any  other  person  hereafter  ever  be  interred  or  in  tombed  within 
the  said  vault  or  enclosure. 

Section  4.  The  said  property  herein  authorized  to  be  purchased  by  the  said 
Mount  Vernon  Ladies'  Association  of  the  Union  shall  be  forever  held  by  it  sacred 
to  the  Father  of  his  Country,  and  if  from  any  cause  the  said  association  shall  cease 
to  exist,  the  property  owned  by  the  said  association  shall  revert  to  the  Common- 
wealth of  Virginia,  sacred  to  the  purposes  for  which  it  was  originally  purchased. 

On  April  the  4th,  1777,  the  following  amendment  was  added  to  Section  4:  And, 
if  said  Mount  Vernon  Association  shall  fail  in  making  such  proper  and  becoming 
improvements  to  said  property  or  keeping  the  same  in  repair,  upon  such  default 


244  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE   MASON. 

being  found  by  a  board  of  visitors,  then  said  estate  shall  be  subject  to  improvement 
and  repair  at  the  pleasure  of  the  State  of  Virginia  and  to  this  end  the  possession  of 
said  estate  shall  vest  in  the  said  State. 

Be  it  further  enacted  that  the  following  section  shall  be  added  to  the  above 
mentioned  Act,  to  be  known  as  Section  5. 

Section  5.  The  Governor  of  Virginia  shall  annually  appoint  and  commission 
five  fit  and  proper  men,  who  shall  constitute  a  Board  of  Visitors  for  Mount  Vernon, 
with  the  ordinary  powers  of  a  Board  of  Visitors,  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  visit  that 
place  and  examine  and  faithfully  report  to  the  Governor  all  proceedings  of  said 
association  touching  Mount  Vernon,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  comply  or  fail 
to  comply  with  this  Act  and  other  laws  of  the  land.  The  expenses  of  said  Board 
shall  be  paid  by  said  association. 

On  January  17th,  1879,  the  General  Assembly  provided  that  no  allowance 
should  be  made  by  the  Mount  Vernon  Ladies'  Association  of  the  Union  or  the  State 
for  expenses  of  the  Mount  Vernon  Board  of  Visitors  in  the  discharge  of  their  duties. 

CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  MOUNT  VERNON  LADIES'  ASSOCIATION 

OF  THE  UNION 

For  the  purpose  of  securing  the  great  ends  of  their  charter,  the  Mount  Vernon 
Ladies'  Association  of  the  Union  ordain  this  Constitution : 

I  St.  The  officers  of  this  association  shall  consist  of  a  Regent,  Vice-Regent, 
Secretary,  Treasixrer,  and  such  subordinate  officers  as  may  be  from  time  to  time 
appointed. 

2nd.  The  Regent  shall  be  the  President  of  the  association,  and  of  the  Grand 
Council,  and  the  "Southern  Matron"  shall  be  the  first  Regent,  and  in  case  of  her 
death  before  the  organization  of  the  association,  she  shall  have  the  power,  by  will  or 
otherwise,  of  naming  her  successor  until  the  organization. 

3rd.  The  Regent  shall  have  the  first  nomination  of  the  Vice-Regents.  One 
shall  be  appointed,  if  practicable,  from  each  state  in  the  Union.  They,  with  the 
Regent,  shall  constitute  the  Grand  Council. 

4th.  Vacancies  in  the  Regency  shall  be  filled  by  the  Grand  Council,  and  vacan- 
cies in  the  Vice-Regencies  by  the  Regent,  with  the  advice  of  the  Grand  Council. 

5th.  The  Secretary,  Treasurer,  and  subordinate  officers  shall  be  appointed  by 
the  Regent,  with  the  advice  of  the  Grand  Council. 

6th.  The  Grand  Council  shall  be  held  annually,  and  additional  meetings  may 
be  called  by  the  Regent  whenever  the  exigencies  of  the  association  may,  in  her  dis- 
cretion, require  their  convocation;  and  the  Regent,  with  any  two  or  more  Vice- 
Regents,  or  any  three  or  more  Vice-Regents  without  the  Regent,  shall  constitute  a 
quorum;  and  in  case  of  the  death  or  absence  from  the  United  States  of  the  Regent, 
any  three  Vice-Regents  may  convoke  the  Grand  Council. 

7th.  In  the  absence  of  the  Regent  the  Vice-Regents  present  at  any  meeting  of 
the  Grand  Council  shall  elect  from  among  themselves  a  President  pro  tempore. 

8th.  The  Regent  shall  have  the  power  to  appoint  local  Boards  of  Managers  in 
the  several  states,  which  shall  be  entitled  to  send  advisory  delegates  to  the  Grand 
Council. 

9th.  The  legislative  power  of  this  association  shall  be  vested  in  the  Grand 


BUSHROD   WASHINGTON    AND   HIS    SUCCESSORS.  245 

Council,  or  a  quorum  thereof,  subject  to  the  control  of  the  association  at  their 
meetings;  and  during  the  recess  of  the  association  and  of  the  Grand  Council,  the 
general  direction  and  order  of  the  affairs  of  the  association  shall  be  vested  in  the 
Regent,  subject  to  the  control  of  those  bodies  at  their  respective  meetings. 

loth.  A  meeting  of  the  association  shall  be  held  at  Washington  or  Mount 
Vernon,  whenever  in  the  opinion  of  the  Council  it  shall  be  deemed  necessary,  or 
whenever  a  majority  of  the  members  of  the  association  shall,  in  writing,  request  the 
Regent  to  call  a  meeting  of  the  association. 

As  vdll  be  seen,  the  Mount  Vernon  Ladies'  Association  is  a  Virginia 
corporation,  and  is  composed  entirely  of  ladies,  representing  every 
state  which  took  part  in  the  movement  inaugurated  by  Miss  Cun- 
ningham. These  ladies  elect  from  their  number  a  president,  vpho  is 
known  as  the  Regent,  while  the  rest  are  designated  as  Vice-Regents. 
These  compose  the  Council,  which,  under  a  carefully  prepared  set  of 
by-laws  and  the  above  constitution,  controls  and  manages  Mount 
Vernon  and  its  business  affairs. 

The  Council  meets  annually  at  Mount  Vernon  in  May,  and 
sojourns  there  during  its  sessions,  which  usually  extend  over  a  period 
of  about  ten  days. 

They  receive  no  compensation  for  their  services  other  than  their 
actual  traveling  expenses  in  attending  the  annual  council,  and  many 
of  the  ladies  of  the  Council,  from  time  to  time,  have  dechned  to  accept 
this  consideration  and  some  of  them  have,  in  addition,  made  large 
contributions  to  the  Association. 

The  Council  is  divided  into  eighteen  standing  committees,  con- 
sisting of  not  less  than  three  Vice-Regents  to  each  committee,  who  are 
required  to  make  annual  report  in  writing  to  the  parent  body  and 
are  designated  as:  Committee  on  Records;  Library;  Rehcs;  Tombs; 
Mansion  and  Out-buildings;  The  Press;  Grounds,  Trees  and  Shrubs; 
Flower-gardens  and  Greenhouses;  Finance;  By-Laws;  Furniture; 
Parliamentary  Law ;  The  Farm ;  Kitchen  Garden ;  Guide  Books ;  Inves- 
tigation of  Washington  Relics ;  Post  Cards ;  and  Index  of  Minutes. 

The  superintendent  is  appointed  by  the  Grand  Council,  is  bonded 
in  the  sum  of  five  thousand  dollars  for  faithful  performance  of  duty, 
and  serves  during  the  pleasure  of  the  Association. 

There  have  been  but  four  Regents,  the  fotmder,  Miss  Cunning- 
ham, who  presided  from  1853  to  1874,  the  year  before  her  death,  when 
she  resigned  on  account  of  her  health ;  second,  Mrs.  Lily  M.  Laughton, 
of  Pennsylvania,  who  presided  from  1874  until  her  death  in  1891; 
third,  Mrs.  Justine  Van  Rensselaer  Townsend,  of  New  York,  who 


246 


WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 


presided  until  1909,  when  Miss  Harriet  C.  Comegys  of  Delaware  was 
chosen  and  is  now  Regent. 

The  following  list  shows  the  states,  with  their  representatives, 
which  constitute  the  present  Council  of  Vice-Regents : 


Alabama, 

California, 

Connecticut,    . 

Delaware, 

Georgia,    . 

Illinois,     . 

Kentucky, 

Maryland, 

Massachusetts, 

Michigan, 

Louisiana, 

Mississippi, 

Missouri,       .   . 

Maine, 

Nebraska, 

New  York,    ;  . 

New  Jersey,     . 

North  Carolina, 

Ohio, 

Oregon,     . 

Pennsylvania, 

Rhode  Island, 

South  Carolina, 

Tennessee, 

Texas, 

Virginia,  . 

Vermont, 

Washington, 

West  Virginia, 

District  of  Columbia, 


Mrs  Robert  D.  Johnson. 

Mrs.  Phoebe  A.  Hearst. 

Mrs.  Susan  Johnson  Hudson. 

Mrs.  Antonie  L.  Foster. 

Mrs.  Geo  P  Wilder. 

Mrs.  Mary  T  Lieter. 

Mrs.  William  F.  Barrett. 

Mrs.  Henry  W  Rogers. 

Miss  Alice  Longfellow. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  B.  A.  Rathbone. 

Miss  Annie  Ragan  King. 

Mrs.  Francis  Jones  Ricks. 

Mrs.  Christian  B.  Graham. 

Mrs.  James  G.  K.  Richards. 

Mrs.  C.  F.  Manderson. 

Miss  Amy  Townsend. 

Mrs.  Francis  S.  Conover. 

Mrs.  A.  B.  Andrews. 

Mrs.  Lewis  Irwin. 

Miss  Mary  F.  Failing. 

Mrs.  Charles  Custis  Harrison. 

Mrs.  J.  Carter  Brown. 

Mrs.  J.  J.  Pringle. 

Mrs.  Mary  P.  Y.  Webb. 

Mrs.  Thomas  S.  Maxey. 

Mrs.  Emma  Reed  Ball. 

Miss  Mary  Evarts. 

Mrs.  Eliza  F.  Leary. 

Mrs.  Eugene  Van  Rensselaer. 

Miss  Jane  A.  Riggs. 


The  Association's  title  to  the  property  has  been  pronounced  by 
eminent  lawyers  as  indefeasible.  In  the  event  of  its  dissolution,  the 
estate  reverts  to  the  Commonwealth,  sacred  to  the  purpose  for  which 
it  was  originally  purchased. 

The  Regents  obtained  formal  possession  of  the  premises  February 
22,  i860,  but  prior  to  that  date  the  wotk  of  restoring  the  buildings  had 
begun. 

Miss  Cunningham  lived  at  Mount  Vernon  for  a  short  while  in 
i860,  but  returned  to  South  Carohna  at  the  begirming  of  the  Civil 


BUSHROD   WASHINGTON   AND   HIS    SUCCESSORS.  247 

War.  Resuming  her  residence  there  in  1 868 ,  she  continued  in  personal 
charge  until  1872,  receiving  no  compensation  for  her  valuable  services 
other  than  living  expenses. 

During  the  war  between  the  states,  the  property  was  under  the 
control  of  Mr.  Upton  H.  Herbert,  of  Alexandria,  Virginia,  who  was 
the  first  superintendent,  and  Miss  S.  C.  Tracey  of  New  York,  the 
secretary  of  the  Association. 

The  vital  power  of  the  sacred  shrine  was  felt  even  during  the 
fratricidal  struggle  (1861-1865)  when,  with  reverential  air,  the  "boys 
in  blue  and  the  boys  in  gray,"  laid  aside  their  deadly  accoutrements 
of  war  and  met  unarmed  at  the  tomb  of  Washington. 

Owing  to  the  low  state  of  the  Association's  funds,  the  position  of 
superintendent  was  abolished  in  1869,  and  Mr.  Herbert,  having  given 
entire  satisfaction,  on  retiring  received  a  letter  of  thanks  for  faithful 
performance  of  duty. 

As  an  interesting  sequel  to  the  associations  of  the  first  custodians 
under  the  new  regime,  the  reader  will  probably  be  interested  to  learn 
that  in  1870  Miss  Tracey,  the  former  secretary,  became  Mrs.  U.  H. 
Herbert. 

After  Mr.  Herbert's  resignation,  Miss  Cunningham  continued  in 
personal  charge  until  1872,  when  the  condition  of  her  health  became 
so  alarming  as  to  necessitate  absolute  rest  and  relief. 

Colonel  J.  AI.  Hollingsworth  was  then  made  resident  secretary 
and  superintendent  and  acted  in  that  capacity  until  the  15th  of  July, 
1885,  when  Mr.  Harrison  H.  Dodge,  the  present  incumbent,  was 
chosen  and  he,  with  Mr.  James  Young,  the  assistant  superintendent, 
have  since  performed  the  dutes  of  those  offices  with  unswerving 
fidehty. 

To  no  one  is  due  more  credit  for  raising  the  fund  to  buy  and 
restore  the  home  of  Washington  than  the  Honorable  Edward  Everett. 
This  noble  son  of  Massachusetts  was  as  brilliant  as  he  was  patriotic. 

Graduating  from  Harvard  in  181 1 ,  when  but  seventeen  years  old, 
at  the  early  age  of  nineteen  he  was  a  Unitarian  minister.  He  soon 
entered  political  life  and  in  1824  was  elected  to  Congress  and  served 
ten  years.  He  was  three  times  Governor  of  Massachusetts  and  for 
five  years  Minister  to  the  Court  of  St.  James;  was  elected  to  the 
United  States  Senate,  from  which  he  resigned  after  one  year's  service, 
on  account  of  poor  health;  was  President  of  Harvard  University  in 
1845-1848;  Secretary  of  State  under  Filmore  and  candidate  for  Vice- 
President  in  1 860.     Notwithstanding  these  honors,  the  crowning  glory 


248  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

of  his  life  was  his  noble  effort  with  tongue  and  pen  to  raise  the  money 
to  purchase  and  preserve  the  home  of  Washington  as  a  national  shrine 
for  all  time. 

In  this  great  work  he  delivered  one  hundred  and  thirty-nine 
lectures,  receiving  neither  fee  nor  reward,  paying  his  own  expenses. 
He  devoted  four  years  of  his  life  traveling  up  and  down  the  continent 
from  Maine  to  Georgia,  and  as  far  west  as  St.  Louis,  swaying  vast 
audiences  with  the  spell  of  his  wonderful  eloquence.  Mr.  Everett 
converted  into  the  treasury,  as  the  direct  result  of  his  efforts,  $68,294, 
but  this  does  not  approximate  the  value  of  his  influence  or  the  amounts 
which  were  indirectly  obtained  as  collateral  result  of  his  labor.  He 
was  undoubtedly  one  of  America's  most  talented  orators  and  his  ora- 
tion on  Washington  was  his  greatest  effort.  Mr.  Everett,  after  a  long 
and  brilliant  career,  died  in  Boston,  January  15,  1865. 

Among  the  valuable  co-workers  of  Miss  Cunningham  was  Mrs. 
Catherine  Willis  Murat,  Florida's  first  Vice-Regent,  who  was  the 
grand-niece  of  General  Washington.  A  very  pretty  romance  con- 
nected with  this  lady's  life  is  worthy  of  preservation. 

In  early  youth  she  had  been  known  throughout  all  eastern  Vir- 
ginia as  the  "beautiful  Catherine  Byrd  Willis,"  daughter  of  Colonel 
Byrd  Willis  of  Willis  Hall  near  Fredericksburg,  Virginia.  Her  mother, 
Mary  Lewis,  was  the  daughter  of  Betty,  the  only  sister  of  General 
Washington. 

At  the  early  age  of  fifteen  she  married  a  Scotch  gentleman,  a  Mr. 
Gray,  who  survived  his  marriage  only  a  few  months,  and  at  the  age  of 
sixteen  the  former  Miss  Willis  became  a  widow.  A  few  years  later, 
with  her  parents,  she  moved  to  Florida  and  settled  in  Tallahassee. 
There  she  met  Achille  Murat,  eldest  son  of  Caroline  Bonaparte  (sister 
of  the  great  Napoleon)  and  the  exiled  King  of  Naples.  Prince  Achille 
immediately  became  enamored  of  the  beautifvd  young  widow,  who  at 
first  rejected  his  addresses  but  finally  yielded  to  the  unchanging  love 
and  faithfulness  of  her  royal  suitor. 

After  their  marriage,  they  lived  on  their  Florida  plantation. 
The  Prince  took  his  wife  to  a  gathering  of  the  Bonaparte  family 
in  Europe  and  while  in  London  Madame  Murat  met  her  husband's 
cousin,  Louis  Napoleon,  who  addressed  her  by  the  familiar  title  of 
"  Cousin  Kate,"  confided  to  her  his  hopes  and  ambitions,  and  became 
interested  in  his  American  cousin. 

The  Murats  returned  to  America  and  the  Prince  distinguished 
himself  in  the  Seminole  War.     He  died  in  1847  of  an  illness  contracted 


■j: 


Z 


> 


BUSHROD   WASHINGTON    AND    HIS    SUCCESSORS.  249 

from  exposure  while  in  the  service  of  his  adopted  country,  leaving  his 
wife  an  independent  fortune. 

When  Louis  Napoleon  became  emperor  of  France,  Madame  Murat 
visited  him  at  the  Tuileries,  where  he  gave  a  state  dinner  in  her  honor. 

The  Civil  War  swept  away  her  fortune  as  it  did  many  others,  but 
in  the  days  of  her  adversity  Louis  Napoleon,  then  at  the  zenith  of  his 
success,  remembered  his  "Cousin  Kate"  and  gave  her  a  life  annuity 
of  five  thousand  dollars.  In  1866  she  crossed  the  ocean  once  more  to 
visit  the  Emperor  and  his  wife,  Eugenie,  then  came  back  to  her  home, 
where  she  died  the  following  year. 

She  was  laid  to  sleep  beside  Prince  Achille,  and  soon  the  grass  and 
flowers  were  growing  green  over  the  graves  of  the  royal  pair.  Two 
simple  monuments,  ten  feet  high,  mark  their  graves.  The  inscrip- 
tions on  them  are : 

I.  Departed  this  life  April  18,  1847,  Charles  Louis  Napoleon  Achille  Murat, 
son  of  the  King  of  Naples  and  Caroline  Murat,  aged  47. 

(This  moniunent  is  dedicated  by  his  wife,  Catherine,  in  perpetual  memory  of 
her  love.) 

II.  Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Catherine  Willis  Murat,  widow  of  Colonel  Charles 
Louis  Napoleon  Achille  Murat,  and  daughter  of  the  late  Colonel  Byrd  C.  Willis  of 
Virginia,  who  departed  this  life  August  6,  1867,  in  the  64th  year  of  her  age. 

Madame  Murat  by  her  marriage  became  a  grand-niece  of  Napo- 
leon Bonaparte  as  she  was  of  Washington  by  descent. 

In  our  illustration,  "Mount  Vernon  in  185S,"  we  show  the  condi- 
tion of  the  mansion  just  about  the  time  these  noble  women  started  the 
work  of  restoration.  How  different  things  are  to-day.  The  falling 
ruins  have  been  restored  and  once  more  we  see  the  home  of  Washington 
as  it  was  in  the  days  of  its  great  proprietor. 

On  the  resignation  of  Aliss  Cunningham,  in  June,  1874,  she  en- 
joined her  associates  to  keep  the  place  as  it  was,  and  it  is  a  satisfaction 
to  know  that  her  injunction  is  being  religiously  observed. 

Ladies,  the  home  of  Washington  is  in  your  charge;  see  to  it  that  you  keep  it 
the  home  of  Washington.  Let  no  irreverent  hand  change  it;  no  vandal  hands 
desecrate  it  with  the  changes  of  progress.  Those  who  go  to  the  home  in  which  he 
lived  and  died  wish  to  see  in  what  he  lived  and  died.  Let  one  spot  in  this  grand 
country  of  ours  be  saved  from  change.     Upon  you  rests  this  duty. 

When  the  centennial  comes,  bringing  with  it  its  thousands  from  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  to  whom  the  home  of  Washington  will  be  the  place  of  places  in  our  country, 
let  them  see  that,  though  we  slay  our  forests,  remove  our  dead,  pull  down  our 
churches,  remove  from  home  to  home,  till  the  hearthstone  seems  to  have  no  resting 


250  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

place  in  America;  let  them  see  that  we  do  know  how  to  care  for  the  home  of  our 
hero.     Farewell! 

Ladies,  I  return  to  yom-  hands  the  ofiSce  so  long  held — since  December  2, 1S53. 
Respectfully, 

Ann  Pamela  Cunningham. 

All  things  considered,  the  "home  of  Washington"  is  undoubtedly 
held  in  the  very  best  manner  it  could  be  held.  In  everj^  essential  it 
is  his  home  to-day  just  as  it  was  when  the  beloved  hero  paced  its  stately 
verandas.  Every  interest  is  guarded  with  such  scrupulous  vigilance 
that  no  just  criticism  can  be  made  of  either  the  conduct  of  the  Associa- 
tion or  those  in  personal  charge  of  the  premises. 

Had  either  the  federal  or  state  government  acquired  the  prop- 
erty-, it  would  in  all  probabiht\-  have  been  subjected  to  the  van,'ing 
fortunes  of  pohtical  parties.  Changes  in  administrations  would  have 
brought  with  them  changes  in  the  management  of  ]Moimt  Vernon. 
The  system,  whose  motto  is  "  To  the  \-ictor  belongs  the  spoils, "  would 
doubtless  have  operated  in  this  as  in  other  cases  and  the  several 
positions  would  have  been  filled,  not  because  of  special  qualification 
for  the  important  posts,  but  as  a  payment  for  service  rendered  the 
partj*  in  power.  As  it  is  now,  and  ever  has  been,  under  the  Iklount 
Vernon  Association,  j>ersonal  worth  and  inflexible  fidelity  to  trust 
constitute  the  onl}^  influence  needed  to  secure  the  approval  of  the 
Regents  and  to  remain  in  office  at  that  place. 

For  over  forty  years  the  writer  has  lived  within  a  few  miles  of  the 
famous  homestead  and  can,  from  personal  observation,  testify  to  the 
indefatigable  and  faithful  ser\-ice  of  those  in  charge  of  the  premises. 
This  above  all  considerations  is  what  the  American  people  want,  and 
under  the  circumstances  is  all  the}"  have  a  right  to  demand. 

The  principal  actors  in  the  historic  drama  whose  climax  and 
thrilling  finale  was  the  purchase  and  restoration  of  Moimt  Vernon  as 
a  legacy  for  the  people  have  long  since  passed  away,  and  the  names  of 
some  of  them  are  fast  sinking  beneath  the  gathering  shadows  of  the 
past.  Is  this  a  proper  reward  for  their  noble  service?  Their  graves 
should  be  kept  green  by  lo\Tng  hands,  and  loj-al  pyens  should  revive 
their  memories  and  keep  them  fresh  in  the  minds  of  all  true  lovers  of 
American  freedom  as  illustrious  examples  of  incomparable  perseve- 
rance and  heroic  devotion  to  patriotic  principle. 

Miss  Cimningham  died  at  her  ancestral  home  at  Laurens,  South 
Carolina,  May  i,  1875,  in  the  fift5--ninth  year  of  her  age,  and  at  her 
own  request  her  remains  were  carried  to  Columbia,  South  Carohna, 


BUSHROD   WASHINGTON   AND   HIS   SUCCESSORS.  25 1 

and  laid  to  rest  in  the  churchyard  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
of  that  city. 

Few  indeed  of  the  thousands  who  annually  wend  their  way  to 
this  venerated  spot  and  delight  in  its  broad  vistas  and  beautiful  sur- 
roundings ever  hear  of  the  struggle  it  cost  in  mental  anguish  and  cease- 
less toil  to  raise  the  money  and  bring  it  back  from  ruin  to  its  former 
state,  but,  as  a  precious  part  of  the  history  of  our  land  and  an  eloquent 
testimonial  of  the  exalted  worth  of  American  womanhood,  it  should 
be  written  on  tablets  in  our  nation's  home  and  taught  in  the  schools 
by  American  preceptors  that  unborn  generations  of  Uberty-loving 
children  may  bless  the  name  of  Ann  Pamela  Cunningham  and  those 
who  shared  her  labor,  her  anxiety,  her  disappointments  and  her 
success. 

There  is  a  modest  private  mansion  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac,  the  abode  of 
George  Washington  and  Martha,  his  beloved,  his  loving,  his  faithful  wife.  It 
boasts  no  spacious  palace  or  gorgeous  colonnades,  no  massive  elevation  or  storied 
tower.  The  porter's  lodge  at  Blenheim  Castle,  nay,  the  marble  dog  kennels  were 
not  built  for  the  cost  of  Mount  Vernon.  No  arch  nor  column  in  courtly  English  or 
courtlier  Latin  sets  forth  the  deeds  or  worth  of  the  Father  of  his  Country.  He 
needs  them  not.  The  unwritten  benedictions  of  millions  cover  all  the  walls.  No 
gilded  dome  swells  from  the  lowly  roof  to  catch  the  morning  or  evening  beams,  but 
the  love  and  gratitude  of  united  America  settle  upon  it  in  one  eternal  sunshine. 
From  beneath  that  humble  roof  went  forth  the  intrepid  and  imselfish  warrior — the 
magistrate  who  knew  no  glory  but  his  country's  good;  to  that  he  returned  happiest 
when  his  work  was  done — there  he  lived  in  noblest  simplicity;  there  he  died  in 
glory  and  peace.  While  it  stands  the  latest  generations  of  the  grateful  children  of 
America  will  make  the  pilgrimage  to  it  as  to  a  shrine,  and  when  it  shall  fall,  if  fall 
it  must,  the  memory  and  the  name  of  Washington  shall  shed  an  eternal  glory  on 
the  spot. 

Edward  Everbtt. 


OUR  MASONIC  FOREBEARS 

[T  IS  not  within  the  scope  of  this  work  to  carefully 
review  the  institution  of  Free  Masonry  in  colonial 
America  and  we  must  therefore  confine  ourselves  to 
a  brief  reference  to  the  most  important  characters 
and  events  of  that  time.  That  it  existed  here,  in  a 
primitive  form,  before  1730,  is  an  estabUshed  fact,  as 
in  that  year  the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  then  Grand  Master  of  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  England,  commissioned  Daniel  Coxe  Provincial  Grand 
Master  of  New  York,  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania.  That  three 
years  later  Alajor  Henry  Price  was  commissioned  by  the  Grand 
Master  of  England  as  Provincial  Grand  Master  of  New  England,  and 
that  his  authority  was  extended  over  all  America  the  following  year, 
are  also  matters  of  record. 

By  the  authority  vested  in  him  in  this  last  commission.  Grand 
Master  Price  established  a  Lodge  in  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  and 
made  Benjamin  Franklin  Master  or  Grand  Master  of  Masons  in 
Philadelphia  as  early  as  1 734. 

Numerous  others  besides  Price  received  similar  commissions  or 
deputations  for  their  particular  province  or  colony,  from  the  English, 
Scotch  and  Irish  Grand  Lodges,  seemingly  with  conflicting  authority. 
Sir  John  Johnson,  of  Tory  fame,  became  Provincial  Grand  Master 
of  New  York;  Robert  Tomlinson  succeeded  Major  Price  in  Mas- 
sachusetts and  was  in  turn  succeeded  by  Thomas  Oxnard. 

It  was  Oxnard  who  issued  a  warrant  constituting  Fredericksburg 
Lodge,  in  which  George  Washington  took  his  first  step  in  Masonry, 
November  4,  1752;  passed  to  the  degree  of  Fellowcraft,  March  3, 
1753;  and  was  raised  to  the  sublime  degree  of  Master  Mason,  August 

4.  1753. 

Among  the  Provincial  Grand  Masters  who  became  distinguished 
for  both  their  private  virtues  and  pubUc  services  was  Peyton  Randolph 
of  Virginia,  who  in  1773  received  from  Lord  Petrie,  Grand  Master 
of  England,  a  warrant  constituting  him  Master  of  the  Lodge  in  Wil- 
liamsburg, with  John  Minson  Gault,  Senior  Warden,  and  Edward 
Charlton,  Junior  Warden. 

253 


254  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

The  instrument  bore  date  in  London  on  the  6th  of  November 
and  its  registry  number  was  457.  The  first  recorded  meeting  under 
this  warrant  was  held  on  St.  John's  day,  June  24,  1 774.  Mr.  Randolph 
was  not  present  and  John  Minson  Gault  presided  as  Deputy  Master. 
It  appears  from  the  record  of  this  date  tliat  previous  meetings  had 
been  held,  at  the  last  of  which  officers  had  been  elected  for  the  ensuing 
year,  which  were  as  follows : 

John  Blair,  Master;  William  Waddill,  Deputy  Master ;  William  Fimiey,  Senior 
Warden;  Harrison  Randolph,  Junior  Warden;  John  Rowsey,  Treasurer;  WilHam 
Russell,  Secretary,  and  Humphrey  Haywood  and  James  Gait,  Stewards. 

On  the  5th  of  July,  1774,  the  name  of  Peyton  Randolph  first 
appears  on  the  records  as  present  at  the  Lodge,  on  which  occasion,  the 
records  state,  he  presided  as  Provincial  Grand  JSIaster  with  John 
Blair  as  IMaster,  William  Waddill,  Deputy  Master,  etc.  From  this  it 
appears  that  Mr.  Randolph  had  at  this  time  been  appointed  Provin- 
cial Grand  Master  of  Virginia,  a  rank  which,  records  show,  he  held 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  October  22,  1775. 

The  hfe  of  Peyton  Randolph,  like  many  others  of  the  Provincial 
Grand  Masters,  is  a  part  of  the  cherished  history  of  this  country,  and 
will  remain  such  as  long  as  unselfish  patriotism  and  distinguished 
service  are  appreciated  by  the  beneficiaries  of  American  independence. 
He  presided  over  the  deliberations  of  the  House  of  Burgesses  and  the 
conventions  of  Virginia  when  the  war  cloud  of  the  revolution  was 
gathering;  was  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Correspondence,  whose 
efforts  made  possible  the  first  Continental  Congress ;  was  elected  first 
president  and  presided  over  that  assembly  with  signal  abihty  in  1774. 
Returning  to  Virginia  at  the  close  of  its  first  session,  he  was  reap- 
pointed a  member  of  Virginia's  delegation  in  the  Congress  of  1775, 
and  again  elected  its  presiding  officer.  Resigning  the  position,  he 
returned  to  the  council  of  his  native  state  and  remained  at  the  head 
of  her  deliberative  body  until  the  close  of  the  Virginia  convention  in 
1775,  when  he  went  back  to  Philadelphia.  John  Hancock  (a  ^Massa- 
chusetts  Mason)  having  succeeded  him  as  president  of  the  second 
Congress,  Mr.  Randolph  took  his  place  with  the  rank  and  file  of  his 
colleagues,  but  his  useful  life  was  drawing  to  a  close,  and  to  the  deep 
regret  of  all  who  knew  him  he  died  suddenly  of  apoplexy  at  his  post  of 
duty,  October  22,  1775,  in  the  fifty-third  year  of  his  age. 

Thus,  in  the  short  space  of  a  year,  had  fallen,  while  in  the  active 
service  of  their  country,  two  of  the  most  distinguished  Provincial 


OUR   MASONIC   FOREBEARS.  255 

Grand  Masters  of  America,  Joseph  Warren  of  Massachusetts  and 
Peyton  Randolph  of  Virginia. 

Mr.  Randolph's  remains  were  temporarily  deposited  in  a  vault 
in  Philadelphia  until  November,  1776,  when  they  were  removed  by 
his  nephew,  Edmund  Randolph,  to  WiUiamsburg,  where  they  were 
interred  by  the  side  of  those  of  his  father,  in  the  college  chapel,  with 
Masonic  ceremonies. 

The  following  extract  is  from  the  Wilhamsburg  Lodge  records, 
November  26,  1776: 

Met  and  agreed  on  the  form  of  the  procession  of  our  late  worthy  Brother 
Pejrton  Randolph,  Grand  Master  of  Virginia,  deceased,  and  then  repairing  to  the 
Lodge  Chapel ;  after  the  corpse  was  interred,  returned  to  the  Lodge,  and  adjourned 
till  a  Lodge  in  course. 

In  writing  of  the  death  of  Randolph,  Hayden  in  his  "Washington 
and  his  Masonic  Compeers"  says,  "Now,  for  the  first  time,  the  Craft 
in  America  began  to  inquire  into  their  own  inherent  powers,  to  assume 
an  elective  supremacy." 

Our  revolutionary  fathers,  at  first  averse  to  a  war  with  England 
and  loathe  to  a  separation  from  the  mother  country,  when  finally 
forced  to  the  drastic  issue,  became  not  only  political  but  rehgious, 
social  and  fraternal  overturners. 

Jefferson,  poisoned  by  the  conduct  of  the  British  Parliament 
and  imbued  with  radical  ideas  of  republican  simplicity,  became  the 
leader  and  the  most  aggressive  in  the  movement  to  abolish  all  things 
English.  In  his  revision  of  the  colonial  statutes,  he  wiped  out  the 
power  of  the  Church  of  England  in  America  and  gave  to  the  world  its 
first  taste  of  absolute  legalized  religious  Uberty.  His  laws  of  descent 
destroyed  the  system  of  primogeniture,  existing  under  the  old  regime, 
while  his  satirical  pen  held  up  to  scorn  and  ridicule  the  pomp  and 
display  of  Cavalier  society  and  sounded  the  death  knell  to  the  aping 
of  English  customs,  even  in  the  Old  Dominion. 

This  violent  spirit  of  revolt,  grounded  in  deep  resentment,  per- 
meated all  classes,  and  the  advanced  ideas  of  Otis,  Franklin,  the 
Adamses,  Henry  and  Jefferson  were  welcomed  with  vindictive  sat- 
isfaction. 

With  the  changes  in  political,  rehgious  and  social  conditions,  came 
also  the  change  in  fraternal  circles.  Before  this  expanding  force,  the 
Provincial  Grand  Lodges  and  Grand  Masters,  instituted  by  and  oper- 
ating under  the  authority  of  foreign  jurisdictions,  gradually  passed 


256  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

away,  and  the  new  order  of  American  Masonry  superseded  the  EngUsh, 
Scotch  and  Irish  establishments. 

The  spirit  of  transition  probably  began  with  the  death  of  the 
gallant  Warren  at  Bunker  Bill.*  His  blameless  life  and  heroic  death, 
coupled  with  an  untiring  zeal  in  the  cause  of  the  Fraternity,  had  a 
tremendous  influence  upon  the  Craft  at  large;  carried  the  estrange- 
ment into  the  fraternal  breast,  and  in  some  of  the  colonies  hastened 
the  establishment  of  independent  organizations.  For  several  years 
after  Warren's  unfortunate  death,  however,  the  authority  of  the  Pro- 
vincial Grand  Lodge  and  Grand  Masters  was  duly  recognized.  It 
was  hard  to  break  away  from  the  old  fraternal  parent,  and  in  nearly 
every  instance  the  so-caUed  army  Lodges,  chartered  during  the 
Revolutionary  War,  were  the  creatures  of  those  provincial  parents. 

That  these  military  organizations  began  their  beneficent  labors 
early  in  the  long  contest  for  independence,  there  is  little  doubt,  as  we 
find  that  on  the  13th  of  Februar}^,  1776,  Colonel  Richard  Gridley,  the 
designer  of  the  fortifications  on  Bunker  Hill  and  Deputy  Grand  Master 
of  Massachusetts,  under  English  warrant,  instituted  American  Union 
Lodge  in  the  Connecticut  line  encamped  at  Roxbury. 

This  was  the  first  Lodge  organized  in  the  continental  army  and 
was  the  beginning  of  that  peculiar  system  of  Alasonic  institution 
which  later  permeated  the  whole  military  fabric  of  the  American 
colonies  and  proved  an  invaluable  auxiliary  to  its  deficient  reUef 
organization. 

Masonry  to  those  men  was  indeed  a  verity,  as  the  opportunities 

'General  Joseph  Warren,  killed  while  fighting  as  a  private  in  the  ranks,  was  bom  at  Rox- 
borough,  Massachusetts,  1740,  initiated  in  St.  Andrew's  Lodge,  Boston,  September  10,  1761; 
passed  the  Degree  of  Fellow  Craft,  November  2,  1761,  and  raised  to  the  subHme  Degree  of  Master 
Mason,  November  28,  1765.  He  was  elected  Worshipful  Master  of  St.  Andrew's  Lodge,  1769, 
and  was  appointed  Provincial  Grand  Master  of  Boston  the  same  year.  On  March  7, 1772,  he  was 
appointed  Grand  Master  of  the  American  Continent.  While  Grand  Master,  there  were  forty 
communications  of  the  Grand  Lodge,  at  thirty-seven  of  which  he  presided.  He  was  a  vigilant 
patriot  and  obtained  information  of  the  intended  expedition  of  the  British,  under  Pitcairn,  from 
Boston  to  destroy  the  miUtary  stores  at  Concord,  April  18,  1775.  It  was  Warren  who  gave 
instructions  to  Paul  Revere,  also  a  Mason  and  afterwards  Grand  Master,  who,  obeying  the  pre- 
concerted signals  of  the  lights,  displayed  by  Robert  Newman,  sexton  of  old  North  Church,  made 
his  now  famous  ride  to  Lexington  by  way  of  Concord. 

In  our  illustration,  we  show  the  old  church  with  General  Warren  and  Colonel  Revere.  The 
tablet  on  the  tower  bears  the  inscription — 

"The  original  lanterns  of  Paul  Revere,  displayed  in  the  steeple  of  this  church,  April  18, 1775. 
warned  the  country  of  the  march  of  the  British  troops  to  Lexington  and  Concord." 

From  this  old  church  tower  also  General  Gage  witnessed  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

Colonel  Revere  was  captured  before  finishing  his  ride,  but  the  news  of  his  mission  was  borne 
to  its  destination  by  a  loyal  companion  and  served  its  purpose  in  arousing  the  patriots  to  armed 
resistance. 


OLD  NORTH   CHURCH 


OUR  MASONIC  FOREBEARS.  257 

to  render  practical  philanthropy  were  multiplied  by  the  ever  vigilant 
redcoat  and,  what  was  far  more  dangerous,  the  ever  empty  commissary. 

The  ministering  angel  of  the  red  cross  had  not  been  bom,  and  the 
white  cap  and  gentle  touch  of  the  trained  nurse  were  unknown  to  the 
rugged  defenders  of  American  rights.  These  were  away  in  the  distant 
future,  and  the  benevolent  spirit  of  the  Fraternity  man  found  ample 
field  for  the  practical  application  of  his  solemn  vows. 

The  best  proof  that  those  warrior  craftsmen  Uved  up  to  their 
Masonic  professions  and  rendered  acceptable  service  amid  forlorn 
conditions  is  the  warm  support  given  the  military  Lodges  by  the 
commander-in-chief  and  his  principal  subordinate  officers.  In  those 
nomadic  temples,  during  the  eight  years  of  privation,  some  of  the 
most  distinguished  men  in  the  history  of  America  received  Masonic 
light  and  afterwards  became  potent  factors  in  the  organization  and 
work  in  both  the  grand  and  subordinate  bodies  under  the  more 
dignified  and  comprehensive  American  system. 

Their  existence  accounts  also  for  the  number  of  famous  revolu- 
tionary characters  known  to  have  been  members  of  the  Order  whose 
Masonic  records  cannot  be  consecutively  traced,  and  no  discovery 
made  of  the  time  or  place  of  their  initiation,  passing  or  raising.  As 
illustrious  examples,  we  have  Alexander  Hamilton,  the  Marquis  de 
Lafayette,  John  Marshall  and  numerous  others  about  whose  admis- 
sion into  the  Fraternity  little  or  nothing  is  positively  known  and 
perhaps  never  will  be,  yet  some  of  these  men  became  among  the 
most  prominent  of  the  early  Grand  Masters  and  were  zealous  workers 
under  the  independent  American  plan. 

The  revolution  over  and  the  army  disbanded,  the  miHtary 
Lodges  as  a  rule  ceased  their  labors.  Their  warrants  were  lost,  their 
minutes  scattered  or  destroyed  in  the  confusion  and,  in  consequence, 
one  of  the  most  interesting  epochs  in  the  history  of  our  Fraternity  lies 
buried  in  impenetrable  darkness.  Numbers  of  the  revolutionary  offi- 
cers, who  had  been  members  of  the  Order  before  the  beginning  of 
military  operations,  identified  themselves  with  these  traveling  Lodges 
and  at  the  conclusion  of  hostilities  returned  to  their  native  states  or 
took  up  their  residences  in  other  sections  of  the  country  to  continue, 
in  their  old  or  adopted  homes,  active  participation  in  fraternal  work. 

Notably  among  these  we  find  General  John  Sullivan,  First  Grand 
Master  and  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  Hampshire ;  Pierrepont 
Edwards,  first  Grand  Master  of  Connecticut ;  General  James  Jackson, 
Governor  and  Grand  Master  of  Georgia ;  William  Richardson  Davies 


258  WASHINGTON  THE   MAN   AND  THE   MASON. 

and  Richard  Caswell,  both  Governors  and  Grand  Masters  of  North 
Carolina;  General  Rufus  Putnam,  first  Grand  blaster  of  Ohio  (raised 
in  American  Union  Military  Lodge) ;  General  JMordecai  Gist,  Grand 
Master  of  South  Carolina;  Robert  R.  Livingstone,  Chancellor  of  New 
York,  who  swore  George  Washington  in  as  first  President  of  the 
United  States  on  a  Masonic  Bible,  while  Grand  Master;  DeWitt 
Chnton ;  John  Marshall,  afterwards  Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States ; 
General  David  Wooster  of  Connecticut ;  Frankhn  and  Milnor  of  Penn- 
sylvania;  Aaron  Ogden  of  New  Jersey;  Paul  Revere  of  Massachusetts, 
and  innumerable  others  were  instrumental  in  the  establishment  and 
promotion  of  the  American  institution  of  Masonry  as  it  is  to-day. 
And  what  a  power  they  grew  to  be!  What  a  tremendous  stimulus 
they  gave  to  the  Fraternity !  They  were  political  philanthropists  who 
had  founded  the  greatest  governmental  asylum  the  world  has  ever 
known  and,  emerging  from  the  conflict  with  hearts  filled  with  fervent 
love  of  humanity,  they  donned  the  insignia  of  Masonry,  and  laid  deep 
and  strong  the  foundation  of  the  greatest  fraternal  organization  in 
the  annals  of  the  human  race — our  present  system  of  the  American 
Grand  Lodge  with  its  constituent  subordinate  bodies. 

The  Masons  of  the  Old  Dominion  were  among  those  who  did  not 
wait  until  the  close  of  the  revolution  to  throw  off  their  allegiance  to 
the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  mother  country,  as  we  find  at  the  first 
recorded  meeting  of  the  Williamsburg  Lodge,  after  the  burial  of  Mr. 
Randolph,  their  last  Provincial  Grand  Master,  December  3,  1776,  the 
following  resolution  was  passed : 

Resolved,  That  the  Master  of  this  Lodge  be  directed  to  write  to  all  the  regular 
Lodges  in  this  state,  requesting  their  attendance  by  their  deputies,  at  this  Lodge, 
in  order  to  form  a  convention  to  choose  a  Grand  Master  for  the  State  of  Virginia, 
on  the  first  day  of  the  next  Assembly. 

At  that  time  there  appears  to  have  been  nine  legally  constituted 
Lodges  in  the  Jurisdiction  of  Virginia.  They  were  Norfolk  No.  i, 
Borough  of  Norfolk;  Port  Royal  No.  2,  Caroline  County;  Blandford 
No.  3,  Petersburg;  Fredericksburg  No.  4,  Fredericksburg;  St.  Tam- 
many No.  5,  Hampton;  Williamsburg  No.  6,  Williamsburg;  Botetourt 
No.  7,  Gloucester  Court  House;  Cabin  Point  No.  8,  Prince  George 
Court  House;  Yorktown  No.  9,  Yorktown.  These  Lodges  had  been 
constituted  by  various  authorities. 

In  the  Freemason's  Pocket  Companion,  published  by  Auld  & 
Smellie,  Edinburgh,  1765,  under  the  heading,  "An  exact  list  of  regular 
English  Lodges,  according  to  their  Seniority  and  Constitution,"  we 


OUR   MASONIC   FOREBEARS.  259 

find  recorded:  No.  172,  The  Royal  Exchange,  in  the  Borough  of 
Norfolk,  Virginia;  first  Thursday,  December,  1733.  No.  204  in 
Yorktown,  Virginia;  ist  and  3rd  Wednesday;  August  i,  1755. 

Thus  it  is  shown  that  Masonry  existed  in  organized  form  in  the 
Old  Dominion  as  early  as  the  days  of  Major  Price,  or  in  1733,  and 
according  to  Masonic  customs  of  the  day,  these  Lodges  were  legally 
constituted. 

In  compliance  with  the  resolution  of  Wilhamsburg  Lodge,  five  of 
the  aforenamed  Lodges,  viz.,  Norfolk,  Kilwinning  Port  Royal  Crosse, 
Blandford,  Williamsburg,  and  Cabin  Point  Royal  Arch,  assembled  in 
Williamsburg  on  Tuesday,  the  7th  day  of  May,  1777,  thence  by 
adjournment  to  the  13th  inst.,  when,  "taking  the  subject  of  meeting 
into  consideration,  they  were  unanimously  of  opinion  that  a  Grand 
Master  is  requisite  in  this  state  for  the  following  reason. ' '  The  reasons 
are  then  given  in  a  series  of  resolutions. 

The  convention  adjourned  on  the  13th  of  May  until  the  ensuing 
23rd  day  of  June,  when,  upon  assembling,  they  unanimously  recom- 
mended to  their  constituents  and  all  other  Lodges  in  this  state,  His 
Excellency  General  George  Washington,  as  a  proper  person  to  fill  the 
ofiice  of  Grand  Master  of  the  same  and  to  whom  the  charter  of  appoint- 
ment aforementioned  be  made 

Washington  at  that  time  had  held  no  ofiicial  position  in  Masonry, 
and  when  informed  of  the  wish  of  his  Virginia  brethren  he  modestly 
declined  the  intended  honor,  for  two  reasons,  "first,  he  did  not  con- 
sider it  Masonically  legal  that  one  who  had  never  been  installed  as 
Master  or  Warden  of  a  Lodge  should  be  elected  Grand  Master ;  and 
second,  his  country  claimed  at  the  time  all  his  services  in  the  tented 
field." 

This  was  the  information  which  came  to  the  convention  held  in 
Williamsburg  on  the  13th  day  of  October,  1778,  and  the  Right  Wor- 
shipful John  Blair,  Past  Master  of  the  Williamsburg  Lodge,  being 
nominated,  was  unanimously  elected  and  on  the  30th  of  the  same 
month  duly  installed*  First  Grand  Master  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Virginia,  which,  according  to  Hayden  and  other  reputable  Masonic 
historians,  was  the  first  independent  Grand  Body  in  the  western  world. 

Grand  Master  Blair  served  until  November,  1784,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  Right  Worshipful  James  Mercer  of  Fredericksburg 
Lodge,  No.  4,  with  Edmund  Randolph  as  Deputy  Grand  Master. 

*Most  Worshipful  Blair  was  installed  by  Right  Worshipful,  the  Reverend  Robert  Andrews, 
Worshipful  Master  of  Williamsburg  Lodge,  who  became  his  Deputy  Grand  Master.  Right 
Worshipful  Andrews  was  the  ancestor  of  our  present  Grand  Master,  William  L.  Andrews. 


26o  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

Few  purer  lives  are  recorded  in  history  than  that  of  the  first 
Grand  Master  of  the  independent  Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia.  An 
intrepid  patriot,  he  became  conspicuous  in  early  life  for  his  activities 
in  the  cause  of  the  colonies  and  later  became  distinguished  as  one  of 
the  ablest  lawyers  at  the  Virginia  Bar.  The  purity  of  his  private 
character,  coupled  with  his  reputation  as  a  profound  jurist,  induced 
General  Washington  to  appoint  him  Associate  Justice  of  the  First 
Supreme  Court,  which  position  he  filled  with  signal  ability. 

Grand  Master  Blair's  successor,  James  Mercer,  served  until  the 
27th  day  of  October,  1786,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Edmund 
Randolph,  Esq.,  the  brilliant  nephew  and  adopted  son  of  Virginia's 
last  Provincial  Grand  Master. 

Few  men  in  the  colony  suffered  more  as  a  consequence  of  the 
Revolutionary  War  than  Edmund  Randolph.  His  father,  John  Ran- 
dolph, brother  of  Peyton,  was  a  staunch  Royalist  and  supported  Lord 
Dunmore,  the  last  royal  governor  of  Virginia,  in  his  efforts  to  main- 
tain the  king's  power  in  the  colony.  Faihng  in  this,  he  abandoned 
his  friends  and  home,  disinherited  his  son  for  his  loyalty  to  the  colonial 
cause,  and  departed  for  England  with  the  discredited  Dunmore.  He, 
however,  soon  repented  his  choice,  died  of  a  broken  heart  in  1784,  and 
on  his  death  bed  requested  that  his  remains  be  transported  to  Virginia 
and  buried  at  WilHamsburg,  which  was  done. 

Disinherited,  deserted  and  disowned  by  his  father,  Edmund  was 
adopted  by  his  uncle,  Peyton,  and  grew  to  be  a  power  in  both  state  and 
national  councils.  It  is  not  known  where  Edmund  Randolph  received 
his  Masonic  degrees ;  as  his  name  appears  on  the  records  at  the  organi- 
zation of  Williamsburg  Lodge,  June  24,  1774,  he  had  evidently  been 
raised  in  some  other  Lodge  prior  to  that  time. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  revolution  he  became  aide-de-camp  to 
General  Washington;  in  1779  he  was  elected  by  his  state  a  delegate 
to  the  Continental  Congress  and  served  until  March,  1782.  In  1786, 
while  Deputy  Grand  Master  of  Virginia,  he  was  elected  to  succeed 
Patrick  Henry,  Governor  of  the  Commonwealth,  and,  while  holding 
that  office  and  also  that  of  Grand  Master  of  Masons,  was  one  of 
Virginia's  delegation  with  Washington,  George  Mason  and  others  in 
the  convention  at  Philadelphia,  which  framed  the  Federal  Constitu- 
tion in  1787,  but  with  Mason,  believing  the  rights  of  the  states  im- 
paired, he  refused  to  sign  the  instrument  as  adopted.  When  the  new 
government  was  organized  under  this  constitution  in  1789,  Washing- 
ton appointed  Governor  Randolph  Attorney-General  in  his  cabinet, 


< 
> 

Q 
Z 

o 

K 


< 

X 

In 
2 

O 

< 


OUR   MASONIC   FOREBEARS.  261 

and  in  1 794,  under  Washington's  second  administration,  he  succeeded 
Mr.  Jefferson  as  Secretary  of  State. 

About  1784  the  legislature  of  Virginia,  which  had  formerly  held 
its  sessions  in  Williamsburg,  took  up  its  permanent  abode  inRichmond^ 
and  the  Grand  Lodge  also  very  properly  determined  to  locate  at  the 
new  seat  of  government. 

A  suitable  site  on  the  corner  of  i8th  and  Franklin  streets,  having 
been  tendered  as  a  gift  by  Mr.  Gabriel  Gault,  provided  the  Masons 
would  erect  a  temple  thereon  and  occupy  it  for  Masonic  purposes, 
was  promptly  accepted  and  application  to  the  legislature  for  author- 
ity to  raise  funds  for  the  building  by  a  lottery  was  made  and  granted. 
The  lottery  was  drawn  at  Williamsburg  and  the  proceeds  appropriated 
to  the  erection  of  the  building  now  standing  on  the  site  presented  by 
Mr.  Gault. 

How  entirely  different  are  the  customs  and  the  moral,  social  and 
legal  codes  of  to-day  from  those  of  our  fraternal  ancestors  of  a  century 
ago.  The  plan  adopted  by  the  Masons  of  Richmond  to  raise  their 
building  fund  would,  in  the  light  of  present  conditions,  be  a  flagrant 
violation  of  our  state  and  national  statutes.  Yet  we  find  Edmund 
Randolph,  successor  to  Patrick  Henry  as  Governor  of  the  Common- 
wealth in  1776  and  Attorney-General  and  Secretary  of  State  of  the 
United  States  under  General  Washington,  and  John  Marshall,  brave 
soldier  in  the  revolution  and  later  member  of  Congress,  astute  diplo- 
mat and  immortal  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States,  both  actively  participating  in  this  movement  to  raise  the  fund 
for  the  first  home  of  the  Grand  Lodge  in  Richmond  by  the  dubious 
means  of  a  simple  game  of  chance. 

To  this  now  historic  structure,  which  its  builders  christened 
Mason's  Hall,  the  name  it  still  retains,  the  Grand  Lodge  moved  in 
1786  while  Edmund  Randolph  was  Grand  Master  and  John  Marshall 
his  Deputy,  and  in  it  they  both  presided  as  Grand  Masters  of  the 
Masons  in  Virginia. 

On  October  28,  1789,  Mr.  Randolph  retired  from  the  East  and 
Worshipful  Alexander  Montgomery  was  duly  elected  and  installed  as 
his  successor.  Montgomery  served  but  one  year,  and  on  October  28, 
1790,  Honorable  Thomas  Matthews,  Esquire,  Speaker  of  the  House 
of  Delegates,  was  elected  to  succeed  Montgomery.  Most  Worshipful 
Matthews  served  three  years  or  until  the  28th  of  October,  1793,  and 
was  succeeded  by  his  Deputy  Grand  Master,  John  Marshall,  who 
served  two  terms  during  which  nine  communications  were  held.    Not- 


262  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

withstanding  the  frequent  charges  made  by  the  enemies  of  our  Order 
that  Mr.  Marshall  was  not  a  zealous  craftsman,  the  records  of  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia  show  that  he  was  present  and  presided  at  all 
of  the  nine  communications  held  during  his  terms,  besides  actively 
participating  in  the  incidental  business  pertaining  to  his  exalted 
station. 

Both  Mr.  Marshall  and  Mr.  Randolph  were  members  of  Lodge 
No.  13,  which  was  the  only  Lodge  in  Richmond  at  the  time  of  the 
revolution.  It  appears  that,  after  the  close  of  that  war,  a  number  of 
the  Hessian  prisoners  quartered  at  Charlottesville  concluded  to  remain 
in  this  country  and  took  up  their  residence  in  Richmond.  Several 
of  them,  being  Masons,  affiliated  with  No.  13.  This  provoked  deep 
resentment  among  the  Americans,  and,  as  a  consequence,  IMasonry 
languished  in  that  locality.  To  revive  the  institution,  Mr.  Marshall 
and  Mr.  Randolph  concluded  to  surrender  the  charter  of  No.  13,  and 
establish  two  Lodges,  which  was  done — one  taking  the  name  of  Ricli- 
mond.  No.  10,  the  other  that  of  Richmond-Randolph,  No.  19.  The 
old  building,  having  been  erected  by  No.  13,  then  became  the  joint 
property  of  the  two  Lodges  above  named  and  was  jointly  occupied 
by  them  for  a  number  of  years. 

In  our  illustration  we  give  the  east  view  of  the  hall,  showing  the 
chair  occupied  by  Randolph,  Marshall  and  other  eminent  leaders  of 
the  Fraternity. 

It  was  in  this  room  and  while  Edmund  Randolph  was  Grand 
Master,  that  the  charter  of  Alexandria  Lodge,  No.  22,  was  awarded  in 
1788,  as  was  also  the  privilege  to  change  its  name  from  Alexandria, 
No.  22,  to  Alexandria- Washington,  No.  22,  in  1805.  In  it  the  Mar- 
quise de  Lafayette,  with  his  suite,  was  received  in  1824,  as  the  fol- 
lowing extract  from  the  mim'tes  of  old  No.  19  shows: 

At  a  called  meeting  of  Richmond-Randolph  Lodge,  No.  19,  held  in  Mason's 
Hall,  in  the  city  of  Richmond,  Virginia,  on  Saturday,  October  30th,  A.  L.  5824; 
A.  D.  1824,  there  were  present  R.  E.  Carrington,  W.  M.;  George  Ives,  S.  W.; 
WilUam  Braddish,  J.  W. 

Then  follows  a  long  list  of  members  among  whom  are  B.  Bowling,  R. 
G.  Scott,  W.  H.  Fitzwhylson,  John  Minor  Botts,  and  others: 

On  motion  of  Worshipful  Brother  Cabell,  Secretary,  Brother  the  Marquis 
de  Lafayette  was  unanimously  elected  an  honorary  member,  as  was  also  his  son, 
Brother  George  Washington  Lafayette,  and  Brother  LaVassauer.  The  Brothers 
Lafayette  and  LaVassauer  then  signed  the  register. 


EDMUND  RANDOLPH 


JOHN  MARSHALL 


HAkLV  GRAXn  MASTHRS  OF  VIRGINIA. 


OUR   MASONIC   FORBEARS.  263 

This  register,  with  the  autographs  of  the  distinguished  French- 
men, is  still  preserved  by  Richmond-Randolph  Lodge,  and  are 
exhibited  to  the  visitor  with  commendable  pride. 

Another  incident  in  connection  with  the  venerable  building  is 
worthy  of  note. 

When  the  Union  army  entered  Richmond,  after  its  evacuation 
by  the  Confederate  authorities  in  1865,  they  found  the  city  not  only 
in  flames  but  in  the  hands  of  a  mob  who  were  looting  the  houses  and 
committing  acts  of  vandalism,  and  among  the  properties  threatened 
with  sack  and  destruction  was  "  Mason's  Hall."  It  so  happened  that 
the  colonel  of  a  regiment,  marching  by  the  building,  was  a  member  of 
the  Fraternity,  and  observing  the  emblems  over  the  door  and  realizing 
its  danger,  he  halted  his  troops  and  detailed  a  captain  (who  was  also 
a  Mason),  with  his  company  to  protect  the  premises.  After  the  occu- 
pation of  the  city  by  the  Federal  forces  and  the  restoration  of  order, 
the  commanding  general,  being  a  member  of  the  Craft,  requested 
Colonel  W.  E.  Tanner,  Past  Master  of  No.  10,  to  call  a  meeting  of  his 
Lodge,  which  he  did,  the  general  and  a  large  contingent  of  his  Masonic 
comrades  attending.  During  the  meeting,  an  association  was  organ- 
ized amongst  the  Union  brethren  for  the  relief  of  the  widows  and 
orphans  of  Confederate  Masons,  and  we  are  creditably  informed  that 
this  improvised  society  rendered  valuable  assistance  to  the  destitute 
wives  and  children  of  the  impoverished  or  deceased  Confederate 
soldiers.  In  the  ante-room  of  the  Lodge  there  still  remains  a  striking 
reminder  of  that  interesting  period.  It  appears  that  while  attending 
the  Lodge,  the  soldier  Masons  hung  their  side-arms  in  the  ante  or 
preparation  rooms,  and  to-day  the  visitor  to  this  ancient  shrine  is 
shown  a  sword,  evidently  that  of  an  officer,  hanging  on  the  wall,  left 
there  by  one  of  those  militant  Samaritans  over  fifty  years  ago. 

The  building  is  still  occupied  by  Richmond-Randolph  Lodge,  one 
of  its  original  owners,  and  the  Lodge  that  performed  the  Masonic 
rites  at  the  funeral  of  Chief  Justice  Marshall  in  1836.  Having  been 
constantly  used  for  Masonic  purposes  from  the  time  of  its  erection 
to  the  present  day,  a  period  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  years,  it 
is  the  oldest  Masonic  Temple,  in  point  of  service,  in  the  United  States 
and  probably  in  America. 

In  our  illustration  we  give  four  of  the  "early  Grand  Masters  in 
Virginia,"  Peyton  Randolph,  John  Blair,  Edmund  Randolph,  and 
John  Marshall. 

Peyton  Randolph  was  the  last  of  the  Provincials,  while  the  others 


264  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THB  MASON. 

were  among  the  Titian  pillars  of  the  American  temple  of  our  fraternal 
forebears  and  fittingly  illustrate  the  character  and  class  of  men  in 
every  state  who  guided  our  fraternal  barks  through  the  stormy  seas 
of  its  formative  period  and  handed  down  to  us  the  priceless  legacy  of 
American  Masonry. 

Much  of  the  early  history  of  the  Craft  of  Virginia  is  irretrievably 
lost.  The  Revolutionary  and  Civil  wars  drew  heavily  upon  the  mem- 
berships of  the  Lodges,  necessitating  the  suspension  of  many  and  the 
disbandment  of  not  a  few.  Their  records  lost  or  destroyed,  not  even 
a  stray  fragment  of  what  was  the  chronicle  of  earnest  workers  remains 
to  tell  the  story.  In  many  instances  a  lack  of  zeal  on  the  part  of  the 
secretary  to  properly  preserve  correct  records  and  transmit  them  to 
their  successors  in  intelligent  form  has  deprived  this  generation  of  a 
priceless  treasure,  while  carelessness  and  stupidity  have  also  played 
their  deadly  parts. 

A  distinguished  Grand  Master  of  Virginia  still  living  informed 
the  writer  that  years  ago  a  highly  esteemed  Grand  Secretary  destroyed 
several  barrels  of  manuscript  and  old  records  relating  to  the  early 
history  of  the  Fraternity,  believing  it  to  be  worthless  rubbish — a  loss 
so  great  that  it  can  hardly  be  approximated  in  this  day  of  research. 

Through  that  hazy  past  we  find  scattered  here  and  there  the 
names  of  some  of  Virginia's  noblest  sons,  compeers  of  Washington,  of 
Marshall,  the  Randolphs,  Pendleton,  the  Lees  and  others,  who  had 
made  their  vows  at  a  Masonic  shrine,  but  the  only  proof  of  this  is 
found  in  an  occasional  visit  by  them  to  some  foreign  Lodge  or  their 
participation  in  some  Masonic  function.  When  they  were  made  or 
where  they  belonged  will  probably  never  be  known.  Certain  it  is 
that  the  greatest  of  the  great  men  of  Virginia  during  the  revolutionary 
period  were  ardent  and  earnest  members  of  the  Masonic  Order,  and 
this,  we  believe,  was  the  case  in  the  rest  of  the  colonies.* 

♦Brother  M.  Delancey  Haywood,  historian  of  the  G.  L.  of  North  Carolina,  furnished  the 
writer  with  the  names  of  eighty-six  prominent  Revolutionary  patriots,  who  were  members  of  the 
Craft  from  that  Jurisdiction;  P.  G.  M.  John  M.  Carter  of  Maryland,  nearly  as  many  from  his 
State;  the  Grand  Secretary  of  Massachusetts  about  two  hundred,  while  the  Grand  Secretary  of 
New  York  more  than  Massachusetts.  From  other  States  we  received  equally  important  informa- 
tion but  space  will  not  permit  publication  of  this  interesting  roster. 


MASONIC  INCIDENTS  IN  THE  LIFE  OF 
WASHINGTON 

|T   ITTLB  is  known  of  the   Masonic   record   of   General 
Washington  from  the  time  he  received  his  Master 


Mason's  Degree  in  Fredericksburg  Lodge  in  1753 
until  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  The 
records  of  his  mother  Lodge,  covering  a  part  of  the 
early  period  of  his  Masonic  life,  were  lost  or  destroyed, 
and  as  that  old  institution  was  one  of  the  first  established  and  among 
the  very  few  existing  in  the  colony  when  Washington  became  a  Mason, 
the  loss  of  these  records  deprives  the  Fraternity  at  large  of  valuable 
information  relating  not  only  to  Washington  but  to  a  large  number  of 
his  fraternal  contemporaries,  who  in  after  years  rose  to  distinction 
in  both  military  and  civil  life. 

From  1753  to  1775  Washington  probably  enjoyed  few  oppor- 
tunities to  visit  any  organized  Masonic  body.     From  the  date  of  his 
raising  until  the  latter  part  of  1758,  he  was  engaged  in  military  affairs 
and  spent  most  of  his  time  on  the  frontier  with  the  provincial  army, 
and  from  the  spring  of  1759,  with  the  exception  of  an  occasional  visit 
to  Williamsburg  as  representative  in  the  House  of  Burgesses,  to  1775, 
he  lived  the  quiet,  uneventful  life  of  a  planter  at  Mount  Vernon, 
nearly  fifty  miles  from  the  nearest  Masonic  body,  which  was  his 
home  Lodge  at  Fredericksburg.     Nevertheless,  there  can  be  little 
doubt  that  on  his  occasional  visits  to  his  mother  and  sister  he  took 
advantage  of  such  opportunities  to  pay  his  respects  to  the  brethren 
of  No.  4,  and  it  would  be  interesting  indeed  to  read  of  those  visits  and 
to  know  who  greeted  him  on  such  occasions.     Alany  of  his  intimate 
friends  and  early  associates  lived  in  and  around  the  little  sequestered 
town,  where,  when  nothing  but  a  youth,  he  had  received  his  degrees. 
Jacob  Van  Eramm,  his  early  fencing-master;  the  Weedons  and 
the  Alercers ;  his  brother-in-law.  Colonel  Fielding  Lewis ;  John  Dan- 
dridge,  his  wife's  father;  the  Warners,  Spotswoods,  WiUises,  Paynes, 
Balls,  Popes,  and  FitzHughs  were  among  the  members  of  that  now 
famous  old  institution,  and  a  record  of  their  meetings  would  be  to  us, 
who  look  upon  the  past  with  particular  reverence,  interesting  indeed. 
That  he  was  well  known  in  Masonic  circles  and  kept  up  his 

265 


266  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

fraternal  associations  through  these  unrecorded  years,  when  oppor- 
tunity permitted,  is  also  strongly  indicated  by  his  active  participation 
in  important  Masonic  functions  and  the  numerous  distinguished  atten- 
tions paid  him  by  the  Fraternity  from  the  very  beginning  of  the 
revolutionary  struggle.  Had  he  held  aloof  and  abstained  from  all 
intercourse  with  the  Fraternity  prior  to  the  revolution,  there  is  no 
suflScient  reason  to  believe  that  he  would  have  been  an  object  of 
special  attention  and  interest  at  the  beginning  of  that  period.  He 
was  not  then,  as  he  grew  to  be  a  few  years  later  and  as  he  is  to-day, 
world-renowned.  Favorably  known,  it  is  true,  as  a  capable  provincial 
soldier  and  an  Indian  fighter,  he  was  yet  untried  as  commander-in- 
chief  of  an  extensive  army,  and  his  fame  as  a  statesman  was  a  long  way 
in  the  distance.  Thus  we  must  search  for  some  other  reason  why 
the  Craft  should  select  him  as  a  particular  object  of  attention  in 
those  early  days  of  that  famous  struggle  and  throughout  the  remainder 
of  his  Hfe,  and  the  only  logical  conclusion  at  which  one  can  arrive  is 
that  Washington  was  well-knowTi  for  his  zealous  attachment  to  the 
Fraternity  before  the  beginning  of  the  mighty  struggle  for  American 
independence. 

As  some  of  our  readers  may  be  curious  to  know  the  particular 
occasions  on  which  our  subject  became  a  conspicuous  figure  before 
the  Craft  and  the  nature  of  the  circumstances  which  brought  him 
into  such  prominence,  we  will  briefly  refer  to  a  few  of  the  instances. 

Upon  the  institution  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia  in  1778, 
although  with  the  army  in  the  north,  he  was  the  first  choice  of  that 
body  for  Grand  Master  but  declined  the  position.  This  is  authen- 
ticated by  the  records  of  that  Grand  Lodge.  That  he  occupied  the 
chief  position  in  the  procession  at  the  celebration  of  St.  John  the 
Evangehst  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania  at  Philadelphia  in 
1778,  in  which  more  than  three  hundred  brethren  joined,  is  also  a 
matter  of  record. 

At  a  public  festival  of  American  Union  Lodge,  held  at  Reading, 
Connecticut,  on  the  25th  of  March,  1779,  the  first  toast  given  was 
"General  Washington,"  which  was  followed  by  one  "To  the  Alemory 
of  Warren,  Montgomery  and  Wooster,"  three  distinguished  Masons 
who  had  fallen  on  the  battlefields  of  the  revolution;  and,  on  the 
24th  of  June  of  the  same  year,  American  Union  Lodge  celebrated  the 
festival  of  St.  John  the  Baptist  at  the  Robinson  House,  near  West 
Point  on  the  Hudson,  having  among  the  guests  on  this  occasion  the 
ccmmander-in-chief. 


MASONIC  INCIDENTS   IN   THE   LIFE   OF   WASHINGTON.  267 

On  the  6th  of  October  following  (1779),  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Massachusetts  constituted  a  traveling  or  military  Lodge,  with  Gen- 
eral John  Patterson,  Master;  Colonel  Benjamin  Tucker  and  ISIajor 
William  Hull  (afterwards  General),  Wardens,  which  they  were  pleased 
to  call  Washington  Lodge. 

Captain  Moses  Greenleaf  of  the  nth  Massachusetts  Regiment 
afterwards  became  Master  of  this  Lodge,  and  his  son,  Simon  Green- 
leaf,  one  of  the  early  Grand  IMasters  of  Maine,  stated,  upon  informa- 
tion from  his  father,  that  Washington  was  a  regular  visitor  to  this 
Lodge  while  he  (the  elder  Greenleaf)  occupied  the  chair.* 

On  the  27th  of  December,  1779,  American  Union  Lodge  met  at 
Morristown,  N.  J.,  to  celebrate  the  festival  of  St.  John  the  EvangeUst, 
and  records  still  extantf  show  that  the  following  distinguished  oiEcers 
of  the  revolutionary  army  were  among  the  visitors  present  on  that 
memorable  occasion : 

Bros.  Washington,  Gibbs,  Kinney,  Van  Rensselaer,  Jackson,  Bruff,  Craig, 
Baldwin,  Durfee,  Shaw,  Hunter,  Lawrence,  Church,  Gist,  Butler,  Coleman,  Camp- 
bell, Maclure,  Savage,  Schuyler,  Lewis,  Livingstone,  Ten  Eyck,  Sherburne,  McCarter, 
Conine,  Somers,  Bevius,  Bleeker,  Maxwell,  Dayton,  Campfield,  Arnold  (the  traitor), 
Armstrong,  Mentzer,  Slafif,  Smith,  Sanford,  Williams,  Rogers,  Hughes,  Brewin, 
Woodward,  Brooks,  Thompson,  Hervey,  Machin,  Piatt,  Gray,  Van  Zandt,  Edwards, 
Fox,  Erskine,  Guion,  Spear,  Ellsworth,  Hunt,  Reacumm,  Conner,  White,  Proctor, 
Wetmore,  Hamilton  (Alexander),  Hanmer,  Walden,  Hubbard,  Gnmman,  Peckham. 

It  is  claimed  that  General  Lafayette  was  made  a  Mason  in  an 
army  Lodge  at  Morristown  and,  although  the  minutes  of  this  meeting 
make  no  reference  to  the  fact,  circumstances  suggest  this  as  the 
interesting  occasion.  There  must  have  been  something  of  extra- 
ordinary interest  to  have  brought  together  such  an  unusual  assem- 
blage ;  something  besides  the  celebration  of  the  festival  of  the  patron 
saint. 

It  was  at  this  meeting  also  that  active  steps  were  taken  by  the 
army  Lodges  to  consider  the  appointment  of  a  National  Grand  Master, 
and  General  Mordecai  Gist,  of  Maryland  (afterwards  Grand  Master 
of  South  Carohna),  was  appointed  chairman  of  a  committee  to  bring 
the  subject  before  the  several  Grand  Lodges.  The  movement  was 
subsequently  taken  up  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
unanimously  recommended  to  the  several  Grand  Lodges  the  appoint- 
ment of  General  Washington  to  that  position. 

*See  Hayden. 

fMinutes  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Connecticut. 


268  WASHINGTON  THE   MAN  AND   THE   MASON. 

Owing  to  the  unsettled  condition  of  the  times,  the  effort  fell 
through,  although  it  received  the  endorsement  of  a  number  of  Grand 
Lodges.  It  nevertheless  shows  that  Washington  was  foremost  in 
the  minds  of  the  leading  Masons,  indeed  of  all  the  Masons,  of  that  day. 

In  his  address  at  laying  the  cornerstone  of  the  Washington 
monument  in  Richmond,  the  Honorable  Robert  G.  Scott,  of  Virginia, 
in  speaking  of  Washington's  zeal  as  a  Mason,  refers  to  a  visitation 
made  to  Lodge  No.  9,  at  Yorktown,  just  after  Cornwallis'  surrender. 
"In  that  village,"  says  he,  "was  Lodge  No.  9,  where,  after  the  siege 
had  ended,  Washington,  Lafayette,  Marshall  and  Nelson  came 
together  and  by  their  union  bore  abiding  testimony  to  the  beautiful 
tenets  of  ^lasonn,-." 

Every  year  and  almost  ever}'  month  during  that  eventful  period 
brought  to  him  some  testimonial  of  respect  or  mark  of  attention 
from  the  Craft.  Lodges  were  named  for  him,  IMasonic  Hterature 
dedicated  to  him,  and  in  numerous  other  ways  the  Fraternity  acknowl- 
edged and  saluted  him  as  their  most  distinguished  patron,  not  only 
in  America  but  abroad,  as  the  following  correspondence,  on  the 
subject  of  some  ornaments  presented  to  the  General  by  a  mercantile 
firm  of  France,  amply  proves: 

To  His  Exckllekcy  General  W.\shington,  America  : 

Most  Illustrious  and  Respected  Brother — In  the  moment  when  all  Europe 
admire  and  feel  the  effects  of  your  glorious  efforts  in  support  of  American  liberty, 
we  hasten  to  offer  for  your  acceptance  a  small  pledge  of  our  homage.  Zealous 
lovers  of  liberty  and  its  institutions,  we  have  experienced  the  most  refined  joy  in 
seeing  our  chief  and  brother  stand  forth  in  its  defence,  and  in  defence  of  a  new-bom 
nation  of  republicans. 

Your  glorious  career  will  not  be  confined  to  the  protection  of  American 
libertj',  but  its  ultimate  effect  will  extend  to  the  whole  human  family,  since  Pro\"i- 
dence  has  evidently  selected  you  as  an  instrument  in  His  hands  to  fulfil  His  eternal 
decrees. 

It  is  to  you,  therefore,  the  glorious  orb  of  America,  we  presume  to  offer 
Masonic  ornaments  as  an  emblem  of  3'oin:  virtues.  May  the  Grand  Architect  of 
the  universe  be  the  guardian  of  your  precious  days,  for  the  glory  of  the  western 
hemisphere  and  the  entire  universe.  Such  are  the  vows  of  those  who  have  the 
favor  to  be,  by  all  the  known  numbers, 

Your  affectionate  brothers, 

Watson  &  Cassocx. 

To  this  letter  Washington  made  the  following  reply : 

State  op  New  York,  August  10,  jj82. 
Genttlemen':    The  Masonic  ornaments  which  accompanied  your  brotherly 
address  of  the  23d  of  Jannar}-  last,  though  elegant  in  themselves,  were  reuderer^ 


MASONIC   I^XIDE^'TS   IX  THE   LIFE   OF   WASHINGTON.  269 

more  valuable  by  the  flattering  sentiments  and  affectionate  manner  in  which  they 
were  presented. 

If  my  endeavors  to  avert  the  evil  with  which  the  country  was  threatened  by 
a  deUberate  plan  of  tyranny,  should  be  crowned  with  the  success  that  is  wished, 
the  praise  is  due  to  the  Grand  Architect  of  the  imiverse,  who  did  not  see  fit  to 
suffer  His  superstructure  of  justice  to  be  subjected  to  the  ambition  of  the  princes 
of  tVii';  world,  or  to  the  rod  of  oppression  in  the  hands  of  any  power  upon  earth. 

For  your  affectionate  vows,  permit  me  to  be  grateful  and  offer  mine  for  true 
brothers  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  to  assiore  you  of  the  sincerity  with  which  I  am, 
Yours, 

Go.  Washington. 

The  revolution  was  then  drawing  to  a  dose,  indeed  the  curtain 
had  akeady  fallen  on  the  last  act  in  the  great  drama  at  Yorktown. 
We  have  described  in  a  preceding  chapter  of  this  work  the  sad  fare- 
well of  Washington  to  his  officers  in  New  York,  the  impressive  scene 
when  he  resigned  his  commission  at  AnnapoUs,  and  his  return  to  his 
peaceful  abode  at  Mount  Vernon,  and  will  not  repeat  them  here. 

The  Revolutionary  War  over,  the  spirit  of  independent  Masonic 
organization  rapidly  crystallized.     An  eminent  writer  says : 

Masonry  was  at  that  time  fast  assuming  in  this  country  an  independent 
American  poUty,  and  in  1785  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State  of  New  York,  which 
had  been  chartered  as  a  Provincial  Grand  Body  while  the  British  troops  held 
possession  of  its  commercial  city,  virtually  renounced  its  fealty  to  its  parent  head 
in  London;  and  under  Robert  R.  Livingston,  a  Grand  Master  of  its  own  election, 
it  formed  for  itself  a  Book  of  Constitution,  which  was  dedicated  to  Washington 
in  the  following  language: 

To  His  Excellency  George  W.^shington,  Esq.  :  In  testimony,  as  well  of 
his  exalted  services  to  his  cotmtry  as  of  his  distinguished  character  as  a  Mason, 
the  following  Book  of  Constitutions  of  the  ancient  and  honorable  Fraternity  of 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  by  order  and  in  behalf  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State 
of  New  York,  is  dedicated. 

By  his  most  humble  servant, 
A.  L.  5785.  Javtks  Giles,  Grand  Secretary. 

The  honor  of  receiving  the  dedication  of  Masonic  pubhcations 
had  not  been  conferred  on  any  American  iMason  previous  to  Wash- 
ington ;  but  this  was  the  third  time  such  distinction  was  shown  to  him. 

The  period  from  1785  to  1790  marks  a  wonderful  epoch  in  the 
history  of  America,  during  which  the  old  confederated  form  of 
government  passed  out  and  down  into  the  chronicles  of  time,  and  a 
constitutional  union,  with  George  Washington  at  its  head,  came  into 
existence.  A  strong,  virile,  endiuing  system  came  to  live  and  gladden 
the  world  by  its  influence  and  example,  and  on  the  30th  of  April,  1789, 


270  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

Washington  was  inaugurated  the  first  President  of  the  United  States 
of  America,  on  which  occasion  General  Jacob  Morton,  Worshipful 
Master  of  St.  John's,  the  oldest  Lodge  in  the  city,  and  at  the  same 
time  Grand  Secretary  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  New  York,  was  Marshal 
of  the  day. 

General  Morton  brought  from  the  altar  of  his  Lodge  the  Bible 
with  its  cushion  of  crimson  velvet,  and  upon  that  sacred  volume 
Robert  R.  Livingstone,  Chancellor  of  the  State  of  New  York  and 
Grand  Master  of  its  Grand  Lodge,  administered  to  Washington  his 
oath  of  office  as  President  of  the  United  States. 

For  want  of  space  we  can  only  enumerate  a  few  of  the  numerous 
courtesies  extended  to  Washington  by  the  Fraternity,  all  of  which  he 
seemed  to  appreciate  and  was  pleased  to  return  on  every  occasion 
possible. 

There  never  has  been  nor  will  there  ever  be  a  cause,  worthy  of 
the  endorsement  of  good  men,  which  has  not  provoked  in  some  way, 
through  ignorance,  superstition,  envy,  avarice,  cupidity,  or  some 
other  weakness  or  passion,  the  enmity  of  misguided  or  vicious  men, 
and  the  Masonic  fraternity  for  untold  ages  has  been  periodically  the 
object  of  as  much  vindictive  abuse  and  unmerited  criticism  as  any 
institution  erected  by  the  genius  of  man.  Its  traducers  have  resorted 
to  the  most  contemptible  subterfuges  to  accomplish  their  iniquitous 
objects  and  to  impede  its  progress  and  destroy  its  influence.  Among 
other  devices,  they  have  questioned  the  loyalty  of  its  most  distin- 
guished leaders,  prominent  among  whom  are  Andrew  Jackson,  John 
Marshall,  and  George  Washington.  In  refutation  of  the  charges 
made  by  these  enemies  of  our  Order,  impeaching  the  loyalty  of 
Washington  and  doubting  his  Masonic  zeal,  we  publish  a  few  of  the 
numerous  letters  written  by  the  General  to  his  Masonic  friends, 
which  will  be  sufficient  to  brand  with  the  calumny  of  falsehood  all 
such  effusions  without  further  notice. 

On  his  visit  to  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  in  August,  1790,  an 
address  of  welcome  was  delivered  to  the  President  by  King  David's 
Lodge  of  that  city,  to  which  Washington  made  the  following  reply : 

To  THE  Master,  Wardens,  and  Brethren  of  King  David's  Lodge  in  Newtort, 
Rhode  Island. 

Gentlemen:  I  receive  the  welcome  which  you  give  me  to  Rhode  Island 
with  pleasure;  and  I  acknowledge  my  obligations  for  the  flattering  expressions  of 
regard  contained  in  your  address  with  grateful  sincerity.  Being  persuaded  that 
a  just  application  of  the  principles  on  which  the  Masonic  fraternity  is  founded 
must  be  productive  of  private  virtue  and  public  prosperity,  I  shall  always  be  happy 


MASONIC   INCIDENTS   IN   THK   LIFE   OF  WASHINGTON.  27 1 

to  advance  the  interests  of  the  society,  and  to  be  considered  by  them  as  a  deserving 
brother.     My  best  wishes,  gentlemen,  are  offered  for  your  individual  happiness. 

Go.  Washington, 

This  letter  was  probably  the  first  he  had  written  to  any  Masonic 
body  during  his  presidential  term. 

After  the  close  of  the  session  of  Congress  in  Philadelphia  in  the 
winter  of  1 790-1 791,  Washington  retttmed  to  Mount  Vernon,  and  in 
the  late  spring  and  early  summer  months  made  a  visit  to  the  southern 
states.  On  his  arrival  in  Charleston,  South  CaroHna,  General 
Mordecai  Gist,  intimate  friend  and  former  compatriot  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  and  at  that  time  Grand  Master  of  South  CaroHna, 
addressed  him  the  following  congratulatory  letter,  as  Grand  Master, 
in  behalf  of  his  Grand  Lodge: 

Sir:  Induced  by  a  respect  for  your  public  and  private  character,  as  well 
as  the  relation  in  which  you  stand  with  the  brethren  of  this  society,  we,  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  the  State  of  South  Carolina,  Ancient  York  Masons,  beg  leave  to  offer 
our  sincere  congratulations  on  your  arrival  in  this  state. 

•  •••••. 

When  we  contemplate  the  distresses  of  war,  the  instances  of  humanity  dis- 
played by  the  Craft  afford  some  relief  to  the  feeling  mind ;  and  it  gives  us  the  most 
pleasing  sensation  to  recollect,  that  amidst  the  difficulties  attendant  on  your  late 
military  stations,  you  still  associated  with,  and  patronized  the  Ancient  Fraternity. 

Distinguished  always  by  your  virtues,  more  than  the  exalted  stations  in 
which  you  have  moved,  we  exult  in  the  opportunity  you  now  give  us  of  hailing 
you  brother  of  our  Order,  and  trust  from  your  knowledge  of  our  institution,  to 
merit  your  countenance  and  support. 

With  fervent  zeal  for  your  happiness,  we  pray  that  a  life  so  dear  to  the  bosom 
of  this  society,  and  to  society  in  general,  may  be  long,  very  long  preserved;  and 
when  you  leave  the  temporal  symbolic  lodges  of  this  world,  may  you  be  received 
into  the  celestial  lodge  of  light  and  perfection,  where  the  Grand  Master  Architect 
of  the  Universe  presides. 

Done  in  behalf  of  the  Grand  Lodge. 

M.  Gist,  G.  M. 
Charleston,  2d  May,  1791. 

To  this  letter  Washington  immediately  replied  as  follows : 

Gentlemen:  I  am  much  obliged  by  the  respect  which  you  are  so  good  as 
to  declare  for  my  public  and  private  character,  I  recognize  with  pleasure  my 
relation  to  the  brethren  of  your  Society,  and  I  accept  with  gratitude  your  congratu- 
lations on  my  arrival  in  South  Carolina. 

Your  sentiments,  on  the  establishment  and  exercise  of  our  equal  government, 
are  worthy  of  an  association,  whose  principles  lead  to  purity  of  morals,  and  are 
beneficial  of  action. 

The  fabric  of  our  freedom  is  placed  on  the  enduring  basis  of  public  virtue. 


272  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

and  will,  I  fondly  hope,  long  continue  to  protect  the  prosperity  of  the  architects 
who  raised  it.  I  shall  be  happy,  on  every  occasion,  to  evince  my  regard  for  the 
Fraternity.     For  your  prosperity  individually,  I  offer  my  best  wishes. 

Go.  Washington. 

To  understand  and  fully  appreciate  this  correspondence,  it  must 
be  borne  in  mind  that  General  Gist  had  been  the  companion  in  arms 
of  General  Washington  during  the  war  of  the  revolution,  and  that 
while  in  command  of  the  Marjdand  Brigade  in  1779  he  had  held 
intimate  personal  and  Masonic  intercourse  with  him;  had  presided 
over  a  convention  of  Masonic  brethren  in  the  army  at  Morristown 
that  desired  to  elevate  Washington  to  the  Grand  Alastership  of  all 
American  Masons;  had  been  constituted,  by  a  warrant  from  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania,  Master  of  a  military  Lodge  in  his  owti 
brigade;  and,  having  borne  the  trowel  and  the  sword  together  in 
many  weary  marches  and  many  well-fought  battles,  had  at  the  close 
of  the  war  retired  to  a  plantation  near  Charleston,  carrying  with 
him  to  his  southern  home  a  love  of  Masonry  and  a  knowledge  of 
its  kindly  influences  during  the  war;  had  established  a  Lodge  in 
Charleston,  been  chosen  Grand  Master  of  the  Ancient  York  ^Masons 
of  South  Carolina,  and  as  such  greeted  Washington  on  his  arrival 
there,  in  their  behalf. 

When,  therefore,  he  declared  in  his  letter  to  Washington — 

When  we  contemplate  the  distresses  of  war,  the  instances  of  humanity  dis- 
played by  the  Craft  afford  some  relief  to  the  feeling  mind ;  and  it  gives  us  the  most 
pleasing  sensation  to  recollect  that  amidst  the  difficulties  attendant  on  your  late 
military  stations,  you  still  associated  with,  and  patronized  the  Ancient  Fraternity, 

he  well  knew  that  Washington  was  familiar  with  the  instances  of 
humanity  in  war  to  which  he  alluded,  and  Washington's  reply  was 
in  keeping  with  his  past  sentiments  expressed  on  the  subject. 

During  the  summer  of  1791,  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia  pub- 
lished the  first  edition  of  her  Book  of  Constitutions,  or  New  Ahimon 
Rezon,  as  it  was  called,  and  dedicated  it  to  Washington,  and  in  the 
same  year  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania  renewed  its  testimonials 
of  respect  by  directing  that  an  address  be  presented  to  him  from 
that  body. 

The  address  was  presented  to  Washington  in  person  by  the 
Grand  Master  and  a  committee  of  the  Grand  Lodge  and  is  as  follows : 

To  George  Washington,  President  of  the  United  St.\tes. 

Sir  and  Brother:  The  Ancient  York  Masons  of  the  jurisdiction  of  Penn- 
sylvania, for  the  first  time  assembled  in  General  Communication  to  celebrate  the 
feast  of  St.  John,  the  Evangelist,  since  your  election  to  the  chair  of  government 


MASONIC  INCIDENTS  IN   THE   LIFE   OF  WASHINGTON.  273 

of  the  United  States,  beg  leave  to  approach  you  with  congratulations  from  the 
East,  and,  in  the  pride  of  fraternal  affection,  to  hail  you  as  the  great  master-builder 
(under  the  Supreme  Architect),  by  whose  labors  the  temple  of  liberty  hath  been 
reared  in  the  West,  exhibiting  to  the  nations  of  the  earth  a  model  of  beauty,  order, 
and  harmony  worthy  of  their  imitation  and  praise. 

Your  knowledge  of  the  origin  and  objects  of  our  institution — its  tendency 
to  promote  the  social  affections  and  harmonize  the  heart — give  us  a  sure  pledge 
that  this  tribute  of  our  veneration,  this  effusion  of  love,  will  not  be  ungrateful  to 
you ;  nor  will  Heaven  reject  our  prayer,  that  you  may  be  long  continued  to  adorn 
the  bright  list  of  master  workmen  which  oiu:  Fraternity  produces  in  the  terrestrial 
lodge;  and  that  you  may  be  later  removed  to  that  celestial  lodge  where  love  and 
harmony  reign  transcendent  and  divine;  where  the  Great  Architect  more  immedi- 
ately presides,  and  where  cherubin  and  seraphim  wafting  our  congratulations  from 
earth  to  heaven  shall  hail  you  brother! 

By  order  and  in  behalf  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Permsylvania,  in  General 
communication  assembled  in  ample  form. 

J.  B.  Smith,  G.  M. 

To  this  address  the  President  returned  the  following  written 
reply : 

To  THE  Ancient  York  Masons  of  the  Jurisdiction  of  Pennsylvania. 

Gentlemen  and  Brothers:  I  receive  your  kind  congratulation  with  the 
purest  sensations  of  fraternal  affection;  and  from  a  heart  deeply  impressed  with 
your  generous  wishes  for  my  present  and  future  happiness,  I  beg  you  to  accept 
my  thanks. 

At  the  same  time  I  request  you  will  be  assured  of  my  best  wishes  and  earnest 
prayers  for  your  happiness  while  you  remain  in  this  terrestrial  mansion,  and  that 
we  may  hereafter  meet  as  brethren  in  the  celestial  temple  of  the  Supreme  Architect. 

Go.  Washington. 

In  1792  Massachusetts  issued  its  new  Book  of  Constitutions  for 
the  government  of  its  Grand  Lodge  and  we  find  the  instrument 
dedicated  to  General  Washington,  by  the  direction  of  that  Grand 
Body,  in  the  following  language : 

In  testimony  of  his  exalted  merit,  and  our  inaUenable  regard,  this  work  is 
inscribed  and  dedicated  to  our  illustrious  Brother,  George  Washington,  the  friend 
of  Masonry,  of  his  Country,  and  of  Man. 

On  December  27  the  Grand  Lodge  passed  a  resolution  presenting 
a  copy  of  the  constitution  which  had  been  dedicated  to  him,  accom- 
panied by  this  address,  which  bears  date  of  December  29, 1 792 : 

The  Grand  Lodge  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons  for  the  Commonwealth 
OF  Massachusetts,  to  their  Honored  and  Illustrious  Brother  Georgb 
Washington,  President  op  the  United  States. 

Sir:  Whilst  the  historian  is  describing  the  career  of  your  glory,  and  the 

inhabitants  of  an  extensive  empire  are  made  happy  in  your  unexampled  exertions — 


274  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

while  some  celebrate  the  Hero,  so  distinguished  in  liberating  United  America,  and 
others  the  Patriot  who  presides  over  her  councils — a  band  of  brothers,  having 
always  joined  the  acclamations  of  their  countrymen,  now  testify  their  respect 
for  those  milder  virtues  which  have  ever  graced  the  man. 

Taught  by  the  precepts  of  our  Society  that  all  its  members  stand  upon  a 
level,  we  venture  to  assume  this  station,  and  to  approach  you  with  that  freedom 
which  diminishes  our  difEdence  without  lessening  our  respect. 

Desirous  to  enlarge  the  boundaries  of  social  happiness,  and  to  vindicate  the 
ceremonies  of  their  institution,  this  Grand  Lodge  have  published  a  "Book  of 
Constitutions,"  and  a  copy  for  your  acceptance  accompanies  this,  which,  by  dis- 
covering the  principles  that  actuate,  will  speak  the  eulogy  of  the  Society;  though 
they  fervently  wish  the  conduct  of  its  members  may  prove  its  higher  commendation. 

Convinced  of  his  attachment  to  its  cause,  and  readiness  to  encourage  its 
benevolent  designs,  they  have  taken  the  liberty  to  dedicate  this  work  to  one,  the 
qualities  of  whose  heart,  and  the  action  of  whose  life,  have  contributed  to  improve 
personal  virtue,  and  extend  throughout  the  world  the  most  endearing  cordialities; 
and  they  humbly  hope  he  will  pardon  this  freedom,  and  accept  the  tribute  of  their 
esteem  and  homage. 

May  the  Supreme  Architect  of  the  Universe  protect  and  bless  you,  give 
length  of  days  and  increase  of  feUcity  in  this  world,  and  then  receive  you  to  the 
harmonious  and  exalted  Society  in  heaven. 

John  Cutler,  Grand  Master. 
JosiAH  Bartlett, 
MuNGO  Mackay, 

Grand  Wardens. 

To  this  address  General  Washington  made  the  subjoined  reply: 

To  THE  Grand  Lodge  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons  of  the  Commonwealth 
OF  Massachusetts. 

Gentleman  :  Flattering  as  it  may  be  to  the  human  mind,  and  truly  honor- 
able as  it  is  to  receive  from  our  fellow-citizens  testimonials  of  approbation  for 
exertions  to  promote  the  public  welfare,  it  is  not  less  pleasing  to  know  that  the 
milder  virtues  of  the  heart  are  highly  respected  by  a  society  whose  liberal  principles 
are  founded  in  the  immutable  laws  of  truth  and  justice. 

To  enlarge  the  sphere  of  social  happiness  is  worthy  the  benevolent  design 
of  the  Masonic  Institution,  and  it  is  most  fervently  to  be  wished  that  the  conduct 
of  every  member  of  the  Fraternity,  as  well  as  those  Dublications  that  discover  the 
principles  which  actuate  them,  may  tend  to  convince  mankind  that  the  grand 
object  of  Masonry  is  to  promote  the  happiness  of  the  human  race. 

While  I  beg  your  acceptance  of  my  thanks  for  the  "Book  of  Constitutions" 
which  you  have  sent  me,  and  for  the  honor  you  have  done  me  in  the  dedication, 
permit  me  to  assure  you  that  I  feel  all  those  emotions  of  gratitude  which  your 
affectionate  address  and  cordial  wishes  are  calculated  to  inspire.  And  I  sincerely 
pray,  that  the  Great  Architect  of  the  Universe  may  bless  you  here,  and  receive 
you  hereafter  in  his  immortal  Temple. 

Go.  Washington. 


MASONIC   INCIDENTS   IN  THE   LIFE   OF  WASHINGTON.  275 

Just  before  the  close  of  General  Washington's  second  term  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania  appointed  the  Right  Worshipful  Grand 
Master,  Deputy  Grand  Master,  and  Brothers  Saddler,  Milnor  and 
Williams,  a  committee  to  form  an  address  "To  the  Great  Master 
Workman,  our  Illustrious  Brother  Washington,"  on  the  occasion  of 
his  intended  retirement  from  public  labor. 

This  address  was  presented  to  the  President  by  a  Grand  Lodge 
Committee  composed  of  the  Right  Worshipful  Grand  Master,  Deputy 
Grand  Alaster,  Senior  and  Junior  Wardens,  Grand  Secretary,  Brothers 
WUliam  Smith,  Dupleses,  and  Proctor  of  the  Masters  of  the  different 
Lodges  in  the  city. 

Having  made  suitable  arrangements,  this  Grand  Committee 
waited  on  the  President  at  the  time  appointed,  at  his  residence, 
and  there  presented  the  address  of  the  Grand  Lodge,  which  we  quote : 

To  George  Washington,  President  of  the  United  States. 

Most  Respected  Sir  and  Brother:  Having  announced  your  intention 
to  retire  from  public  labor  to  that  refreshment  to  which  your  pre-eminent  services 
for  near  half  a  century  have  so  justly  entitled  you,  permit  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Pennsylvania  at  this  last  feast  of  our  Evangelic  Master,  St.  John,  on  which  we 
can  hope  for  immediate  communication  with  you,  to  join  the  grateful  voice  of  our 
country  in  acknowledging  that  you  have  carried  forth  the  principles  of  the  Lodge 
in  every  walk  of  your  life,  by  your  constant  labor  for  the  prosperity  of  that  country ; 
by  your  unremitting  endeavors  to  promote  order,  union,  and  brotherly  affection 
amongst  us;  and,  lastly,  by  the  views  of  your  farewell  address,  which  we  trust 
our*  children's  children  will  ever  look  upon  as  a  most  valuable  legacy  from  a  friend, 
a  benefactor,  and  a  father. 

To  these  our  grateful  acknowledgments  (leaving  to  the  pen  of  history  to 
record  the  important  events  in  which  you  have  borne  so  illustrious  a  part),  permit 
us  to  add  our  most  fervent  prayers,  that  after  enjoying  to  the  utmost  span  of  human 
life,  every  feUcity  which  the  terrestrial  lodge  can  afford,  you  may  be  received  by 
the  Great  Master  Builder  of  this  world,  and  of  worlds  unnumbered,  into  the  ample 
felicity  of  that  celestial  lodge,  in  which  alone  distinguished  virtues  and  distinguished 
labors  can  be  eternally  rewarded. 

By  the  unanimous  order  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania. 

WxtrLiAM  Moore  Smith,  G.  M. 

The  President's  reply  to  this  address  is  still  in  the  archives  of 
the  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania  and  constitutes  one  of  their  most 
cherished  Masonic  treasures.     The  following  is  a  verbatim  copy: 

Fellow-Citizens  and  Brothers  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania: 

I  have  received  your  address  with  all  the  feelings  of  brotherly  affection, 
mingled  with  those  sentiments  for  the  society,  which  it  was  calculated  to  excite. 


276  WASHINGTON  THE)   MAN  AND  THE   MASON. 

To  have  been  in  any  degree  an  instrument  in  the  hands  of  Providence  to 
promote  order  and  miion,  and  erect  upon  a  solid  foundation  the  true  principles 
of  government,  is  only  to  have  shared,  with  many  others,  in  a  labor,  the  result  of 
which,  let  us  hope,  will  prove  through  all  ages  a  sanctuary  for  brothers,  and  a 
lodge  for  the  virtues. 

Permit  me  to  reciprocate  your  prayers  for  my  temporal  happiness,  and  to 
supphcate  that  we  may  all  meet  hereafter,  in  that  eternal  temple,  whose  builder 
is  the  Great  Architect  of  the  Universe. 

Go.  Washington. 

General  Washington's  second  administration  closed  March  4, 
1797,  and,  as  on  aU  previous  occasions,  when  his  work  was  done,  he 
retired  immediately  to  the  peaceful  precincts  of  his  home  on  the 
Potomac.  He  had  scarcely  settled  himself  in  the  enjoyment  of 
private  life  when  the  voice  of  Masonry  reached  him  again.  It  came 
in  an  address  first  from  his  own  Lodge  in  Alexandria,  to  be  followed 
in  a  few  days  by  another  from  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Massachusetts, 
which  bears  date  of  March  21,  1797: 

The  East,  the  West,  and  the  South,  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Ancient,  Free 
AND  Accepted  Masons,  for  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  to 
their  Most  Worthy  Brother  George  Washington: 

Wishing  ever  to  be  foremost  in  testimonials  of  respect  and  admiration  of 
those  virtues  and  services  with  which  you  have  so  long  adorned  and  benefited  our 
common  country,  and  not  the  last  nor  least  to  regret  the  cessation  of  them  in  public 
councils  of  the  Union,  your  brethren  of  this  Grand  Lodge  embrace  the  earUest 
opportunity  of  greeting  you  in  the  calm  retirement  you  have  contemplated  to 
yourself. 

Though  as  citizens  they  lose  you  in  the  active  labors  of  political  life,  they 
hope  as  Masons  to  find  you  in  the  pleasing  sphere  of  fraternal  engagement.  From 
the  cares  of  state,  and  the  fatigue  of  public  business,  our  institution  opens  a  recess, 
affording  all  the  relief  of  tranquilHty,  the  harmony  of  peace,  and  the  refreshment 
of  pleasure.  Of  these  may  you  partake  in  all  their  purity  and  satisfaction  and 
we  will  assure  ourselves  that  your  attachment  to  this  social  plan  wUl  increase; 
and  that,  under  the  auspices  of  your  encouragement,  assistance,  and  patronage, 
the  Craft  will  attain  its  highest  ornament,  perfection,  and  praise.  And  it  is  our 
earnest  prayer,  that  when  your  light  shall  be  no  more  visible  in  this  earthly  Temple, 
you  may  be  raised  to  the  All  Perfect  Lodge  above,  be  seated  on  the  right  of  the 
Supreme  Architect  of  the  Universe,  and  receive  the  refreshment  yoiu"  labors  have 
merited. 

In  behalf  of  the  Grand  Lodge,  we  subscribe  ourselves,  with  the  highest 
esteem,  your  affectionate  brethren, 

Paul  Revere,  Grand  Master, 
Isaiah  Thomas,  Senior  Grand  Warden, 
Joseph  Laughton,  Junior  Grand  Warden, 
Daniel  Oliver,  Grand  Secretary. 


MASONIC   INCIDENTS   IN   THE   LIFE   OF   WASHINGTON.  277 

Washington's  reply  was  communicated  to  the  Grand  Lodge  on 
the  12th  of  the  following  June.  It  breathes  the  same  tender  spirit 
and  clearly  indicates  that  his  fraternal  affections  had  not  diminished 
one  iota  by  his  retirement  to  private  Ufe: 

To  THB  Grand  Lodge  of  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons  in  the  Com- 
monwealth OF  Massachusetts. 

Brothers  :  It  was  not  until  within  these  few  days  that  I  have  been  favored 
by  the  receipt  of  your  affectionate  address,  dated  in  Boston,  the  21st  of  March. 

For  the  favorable  sentiments  you  have  been  pleased  to  express  on  the  occasion 
of  my  past  services,  and  for  the  regrets  with  which  they  are  accompanied  for  the 
cessation  of  my  pubUc  functions,  I  pray  you  to  accept  my  best  acknowledgments 
and  gratitude. 

No  pleasure,  except  that  which  results  from  a  consciousness  of  having,  to 
the  utmost  of  my  abilities,  discharged  the  trusts  which  have  been  reposed  in  me 
by  my  country,  can  equal  the  satisfaction  I  feel  for  the  unequivocal  proofs  I  con- 
tinually receive  of  its  approbation  of  my  public  conduct;  and  I  beg  you  to  be 
assured  that  the  evidence  thereof,  which  is  exhibited  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Massachusetts,  is  not  among  the  least  pleasing  or  grateful  to  my  feelings. 

In  that  retirement  which  declining  years  induce  me  to  seek,  and  which  repose, 
to  a  mind  long  employed  in  public  concerns,  rendered  necessary,  my  wishes  that 
bounteous  Providence  will  continue  to  bless  and  preser^^e  our  country  in  peace, 
and  in  the  prosperity  it  has  enjoyed,  will  be  warm  and  sincere;  and  my  attachment 
to  the  Society  of  which  we  are  members  will  dispose  me  always  to  contribute  my 
best  endeavors  to  promote  the  honor  and  interest  of  the  Craft. 

For  the  prayer  you  offer  in  my  behalf,  I  entreat  you  to  accept  the  thanks 
of  a  grateful  heart,  with  assurances  of  fraternal  regard,  and  my  best  wishes  for  the 
honor,  happiness,  and  prosperity  of  all  the  members  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Massachusetts. 

Go.  Washington. 

Strange  as  it  may  appear  to  the  world  and  undoubtedly  is  to 
every  member  of  the  Craft  who  enjoys  the  benefits  of  an  institution 
of  unexcelled  popularity  and  importance  whose  usefulness  and  power 
is  now  universally  admitted,  the  beginning  of  the  last  century  wit- 
nessed the  most  violent  anti-Masonic  wave  in  the  history  of  the 
American  Fraternity.  For  more  than  three  decades  it  seriously 
threatened  the  very  Ufe  of  the  institution  and  tested  the  fidelity  of 
every  individual  member  to  the  utmost  limit.  In  certain  locations, 
to  wear  a  Masonic  emblem  amounted  virtually  to  social  ostracism, 
and  some  of  the  greatest  statesmen  in  the  country  bowed  to  this 
popular  fanaticism  and  became  open  in  their  avowals  of  opposition. 
It  was  at  this  period  that  George  Washington  was  called  upon  by 
the  enemies  of  the  Fraternity  to  assert  his  position  and  declare  his 


278  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

sentiments.  In  his  reply,  first  to  a  letter  of  congratulation  from  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  Maryland  on  his  retirement  from  office,  and  again 
to  one  G.  W.  Snyder,  a  leader  of  the  antis,  he  makes  plain  and 
without  equivocation  his  sentiments  as  regards  the  Fraternity: 

To  THE  Right  Worshipful  Grand  Lodge  of  Freemasons  of  the  State  of 
Maryland. 

Brethren  and  Brothers:  Your  obliging  and  affectionate  letter,  together 
with  a  copy  of  the  "Constitutions  of  Masonry,"  has  been  put  in  my  hands  by  your 
Grand  Master,  for  which,  I  pray  you  to  accept  my  best  thanks.  So  far  as  I  am 
acquainted  with  the  principles  and  doctrines  of  Freemasonry,  I  conceive  them  to 
be  founded  on  benevolence,  and  to  be  exercised  only  for  the  good  of  mankind. 
I  cannot,  therefore,  upon  this  ground,  withdraw  my  approbation  from  it.  While 
I  offer  my  grateful  acknowledgments  for  your  congratulations  on  my  late  appoint- 
ment, and  for  the  favorable  sentiments  you  are  pleased  to  express  of  my  conduct, 
permit  me  to  observe,  that,  at  this  important  and  critical  moment,  when  high  and 
repeated  indignities  have  been  offered  to  the  government  of  our  country,  and  when 
the  property  of  our  citizens  is  plundered  without  a  prospect  of  redress,  I  conceive 
it  to  be  the  indispensable  duty  of  every  American,  let  his  station  and  circumstances 
in  life  be  what  they  may,  to  come  forward  in  support  of  the  government  of  his 
choice,  and  to  give  all  the  aid  in  his  power  towards  maintaining  that  independence 
which  we  have  so  dearly  purchased;  and,  under  this  impression,  I  did  not  hesitate 
to  lay  aside  all  personal  considerations  and  accept  my  appointment. 

I  pray  you  to  be  assured  that  I  receive  with  gratitude  yoiu:  kind  wishes  for 
my  health  and  happiness,  and  reciprocate  them  with  sincerity. 

I  am,  gentlemen  and  brothers,  very  respectfully. 

Your  most  obedient  servant. 

Go.  Washington. 

To  Snyder,  who  was  a  clergyman  and  lived  at  Fredericktown, 
Maryland,  he  wrote  first  a  general  denial  of  the  charges  that  the 
Masonic  Fraternity  was  inimicable  to  the  principles  of  good  govern- 
ment and,  secondly,  a  more  extensive  communication  defining  his 
exact  position  or  opinion  in  the  matter,  which  we  publish  in  full: 

Mount  Vernon,  24th  October,  1798. 

Reverend  Sir:  I  have  your  favor  of  the  17th  instant  before  me,  and  my 
only  motive  for  troubhng  you  with  the  receipt  of  the  letter  is  to  explain  and  correct 
a  mistake  which,  I  believe,  the  hurry  in  which  I  am  obliged  often  to  write  letters  has 
led  you  into. 

It  was  not  my  intention  to  doubt  that  the  doctrines  of  the  Illuminati,  and 
the  principles  of  Jacobinism  had  not  spread  in  the  United  States.  On  the  contrary, 
no  one  is  more  fully  satisfied  of  this  fact  that  I  am. 

The  idea  I  meant  to  convey  was,  that  I  did  not  believe  that  the  Lodges  of 
Freemasons  in  this  country  had,  as  societies,  endeavored  to  propagate  the  diabolical 
tenets  of  the  former,  or  the  pernicious  principles  of  the  latter,  if  they  are  susceptible 


MASOXIC   INCIDENTS    IN   THE    LIFE    OF    WASHINGTON.  279 

of  separation.  That  individuals  of  them  may  have  done  it,  or  that  the  fotmder, 
or  instruments  employed  to  found,  the  democratic  societies  in  the  United  States 
may  have  had  these  objects,  and  actually  had  a  separation  of  the  people  from  their 
government  in  view,  is  too  evident  to  be  questioned. 

My  occupations  are  such  that  Uttle  leisure  is  allowed  me  to  read  newspapers 
or  books  of  any  kind.  The  reading  of  letters  and  preparing  answers  absorbs  much 
of  my  time. 

With  respect,  I  remain,  sir,  etc., 

Go.  Washington^. 

Space  will  not  permit  a  further  discussion  of  Washington  as  a 
fraternity  man.  The  pubUcation  of  a  few  of  his  letters  on  the  subject 
of  Masonry  and  our  brief  reference  to  !Masonic  episodes  and  incidents 
during  his  militar)'  and  political  careers,  appear  to  the  writer  to  be 
suflScient  proof  that  this  great  and  good  man,  even  amid  the  cares 
and  concerns  of  war,  delighted  in  the  milder  associations  and  benevo- 
lent occupations  of  the  true  Mason,  and  that  he  was  ever  ready  and 
willing  to  step  down  from  his  exalted  station  as  President  of  the 
United  States,  and  lay  aside  the  scepter  of  power  to  take  up  the 
fraternal  pen;  ever  ready  and  anxious  to  say  a  word  or  write  a  line 
here  and  there  in  behah  of  that  institution  to  which  for  nearly  fifty 
years  he  had  maintained  loyal  allegiance,  and  with  whose  members 
he  had  delighted  to  hold  fraternal  communion. 

From  evidence  produced  in  these  letters,  no  man  or  set  of  men 
can  truthfully  aver,  without  impugning  his  veracity  or  doubting  the 
sincerity  of  his  declarations  on  the  subject,  that  Washington  was 
other  than  an  earnest,  zealous  member  of  the  Craft,  loyal  to  its 
principles  and  true  to  its  teachings,  to  the  close  of  his  life. 


LODGES  NOS.  39  AND  11  OF  ALEXANDRIA,  VA. 

•nr^HE  year  before  General  Washington's  return  from  the 
revolution  a  number  of  his  neighbors  and  com- 
patriots, among  them  Robert  Adam,  Michael  Ryan, 
William  Hunter,  Jr.,  John  Allison,*  Peter  Dow  and 
Dr.  Elisha  CuUen  Dick,  took  the  first  steps  to  organize 
a  ISIasonic  Lodge  in  Alexandria,  Virginia,  by  pre- 
senting a  petition  to  the  Provincial  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania, 
praying  for  a  dispensation  or  warrant  under  the  sanction  of  that 
Grand  Lodge  and  recommending  the  appointment  of  Robert  Adam, 
Esquire,  to  the  office  of  Worshipful  Master,  with  Colonel  Michael 
Ryan  and  \Mlliam  Hunter  as  Senior  and  Junior  Wardens,  respectively. 
This  petition  was  presented  to  the  Provincial  Grand  Lodge  at 
its  quarterly  communication  held  in  Philadelphia,  September  2, 
1782,  and  was  ordered  to  lie  over  to  the  next  regular  communication 
of  the  Grand  Lodge.  The  Grand  Lodge  convened  in  extra  com- 
munication on  the  3rd  day  of  February,  1783 — 

when  it  was  ordered  that  the  prayer  of  the  said  petitioners  be  compHed  with  and 
that  the  secretary  present  Brother  Adam  with  a  warrant  to  hold  a  Lodge  of  Ancient 
Masons  in  Alexandria,  in  Virginia,  to  be  numbered  39. 

Brother  Robert  Adam  was  then  duly  recommended,  and  presented,  in  form, 
to  the  Right  Worshipful  Grand  Master,  in  the  chair,  for  installation  as  Master 
of  No.  39,  to  be  held  in  the  Borough  of  Alexandria,  in  Fairfax  County,  Virginia, 
and  was  accordingly  installed  as  such. 

The  first  meeting  of  this  Lodge,  for  organization,  was  held  on 
the  25th  day  of  February,  1783,  and  among  its  recorded  proceedings 
appears  the  following: 

Ha\dng  obtained  a  warrant  from  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania,  to 
establish  a  Lodge,  No.  39,  in  the  town  of  Alexandria,  the  following  persons  convened, 
this  day,  and  opened  "An  Entered  Apprentices'  Lodge,"  in  due  form  with  a  prayer 
particularly  applicable  to  the  occasion. 

Brother  Young,  t  in  the  Chair,  Brother  Allison,  Senior  Deacon, 

Brother  Proctor, t  Senior  Warden,     Brother  Dow,  Junior  Deacon, 
Brother  Adam,  Junior  Warden,  Brother  Dick. 

•Ancestor  of  President  William  McKinley's  mother. 

tMessrs.  Young  and  (Colonel)  Thos.  Proctor  were  members  of  the  Grand  Lodge  o/ 
Pennsylvania  and  came  to  Alexandria  to  assist  in  the  organization  of  the  Lodge. 

281 


a8a  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

The  acting  Secretary,  Mr.  Dick,  then  read  the  warrant  as  follows: 

William  Adcock,  G.  M. 
Alexander  Rutherford,  D.  G.  M. 
Thomas  Proctor,  S.  G.  W. 
George  Ord,  J.  G.  W. 

To  All  Whom  It  May  Concern  :  We,  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  Most  Ancient 
and  Honorable  Fraternity  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  according  to  the  Old 
Institutions,  held  at  Philadelphia,  in  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania,  by  virtue  of 
a  Provincial  Grand  Warrant  from  the  Grand  Lodge  of  London,  in  Great  Britain, 
whereof,  then  the  Right  Worshipful  and  Right  Honorable  Thomas  Erskine,  Earl 
of  Kelly,  Viscount  Fenton,  Lord  Baron  of  Pitten  Ween,  etc.,  in  Great  Britain,  was 
Grand  Master  of  Masons,  the  Right  Worshipful  Mr.  William  Osborne,  Deputy 
Grand  Master,  the  Right  Worshipful  Mr.  William  Dickey,  Senior  Grand  Warden, 
and  the  Right  Worshipful  James  Gibson,  Esq.,  Junior  Grand  Warden,  under  their 
hands  and  the  seal  of  their  Grand  Lodge,  constituting  and  appointing  the  Right 
Worshipful  William  Ball,  Esq.,  Grand  Master  of  Masons  for  the  Province  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  Territories  thereunto  belonging;  the  Right  Worshipful 
Captain  Blaithwaite  Jones,  Deputy  Grand  blaster,  the  Right  Worshipful  Mr. 
David  Hall,  Senior  Grand  Warden,  and  the  Right  Worshipful  Mr.  Hugh  Lenox, 
Junior  Grand  Warden,  authorizing  and  empowering  them,  and  their  successors, 
to  grant  Dispensations,  Warrants,  or  Constitutions,  for  the  forming,  holding  and 
governing  Lodges  within  their  jurisdiction,  as  by  the  said  Warrant,  bearing  date 
the  2oth  day  of  June,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1764,  and  of  Masonry  5764,  reference 
being  thereunto  had,  may  more  at  large  appear. 

Now  Know  Ye,  That  we,  William  Adcock,  Esq.,  Grand  Master;  Alexandria 
Rutherford,  Deputy  Grand  Master;  Thomas  Proctor,  Senior  Grand  Warden,  and 
George  Ord,  Junior  Grand  Warden,  present,  and  legal  successors  to  the  above- 
named  Provincial  Grand  Officers,  as  the  Grand  Lodge  books  may  appear  by  virtue 
of  the  power  to  us  granted  by  the  above  in  part  recited  warrant.  Do  hereby  authorize 
and  empower  our  trusty  and  well-beloved  brethren,  Robert  Adam,  Master;  Michael 
Ryan,  Senior  Warden,  and  William  Hunter,  Junior  Warden  of  a  New  Lodge,  No. 
39,  to  be  held  in  the  Borough  of  Alexandria,  in  Fairfax  County,  Virginia,  or  within 
five  miles  of  the  same. 

And  we  do  further  authorize  and  empower  our  said  brethren,  Robert  Adam, 
Master;  Michael  Ryan,  Senior  Warden,  and  William  Hunter,  Junior  Warden,  to 
admit  and  make  Freemasons  according  to  the  Most  Ancient  and  Honorable  Custom 
of  the  Royal  Craft  in  all  ages  and  nations  throughout  the  known  world,  and  not 
contrarywise.  And  we  do  further  empower  and  appoint  our  said  brethren,  Robert 
Adam,  Master;  Michael  Ryan,  Senior  Warden,  and  WiUiam  Hunter,  Junior 
Warden,  and  their  successors,  to  hear  and  determine  all  and  singular  matters  and 
things  relating  to  the  Craft  within  the  jurisdiction  of  Lodge  No.  39. 

And,  lastily,  we  do  hereby  authorize  and  empower  our  said  trusty  and  well- 
beloved  brethren,  Robert  Adam,  Master;  Michael  Ryan,  Senior  Warden,  and 
William  Hunter,  Junior  Warden,  to  nominate,  choose,  and  install  their  successors, 
to  whom  they  shall  deliver  this  warrant,  and  insert  them  with  all  their  powers  and 


/^..^^.C.,;^^.^.;:!.^  St  1j^^-  //cF3 


y^A^Z^^^^j^^ 


(3^  ^y^^^'^/2^Yi^. 


LODGES  NOS.  39  AND  22  OF  ALEXANDRIA,  VA.        283 

dignities  as  Freemasons,  and  such  successors  shall  in  Hke  manner  nominate,  choose, 
and  install  their  successors,  etc.,  etc.,  etc.  Such  installation  to  be  upon  or  near 
every  St.  John's  day,  during  the  continuance  of  this  Lodge,  forever;  provided, 
always,  that  the  above-named  brethren,  and  their  successors,  pay  due  respect 
to  the  Right  Worshipful  Grand  Master,  from  whom  they  have  their  authority, 
otherwise,  this  warrant  to  be  of  no  force  or  virtue. 

Given  under  our  hands,  and  the  Seal  of  the  Grand  Lodge,  at  Philadelphia, 
this  third  day  of  February,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  eighty-three,  and  of  Masonry,  five  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-three. 

Charles  Young,  Grand  Treasurer. 
Joseph  Howell,  Jr.,  Deputy  Grand  Secretary. 

The  first  election  of  officers  under  the  Pennsylvania  warrant  was  held  on 
the  2ist  of  December,  1783,  when  the  following  persons  were  duly  elected:  Robert 
Adam,  Worshipful  Master;  Robert  McCrea,  Senior  Warden;  EHsha  C.  Dick, 
Junior  Warden;  William  Herbert,  Secretary;  William  Ramsay,  Treasurer. 

Three  days  after  this  election,  General  Washington  returned 
to  Mount  Vernon,  and  two  days  after  his  return  the  following  letter 
was  addressed  to  him  by  the  officers  of  the  Lodge . 

Sir:  Whilst  all  denominations  of  people  bless  the  happy  occasion  of  your 
excellency's  return  to  enjoy  private  and  domestic  felicity,  permit  us,  sir,  the  mem- 
bers of  Lodge  No.  39,  lately  established  in  Alexandria,  to  assure  your  excellency, 
that  we,  as  a  mystical  body,  rejoice  in  having  a  brother  so  near  us,  whose  pre- 
eminent benevolence  has  secured  the  happiness  of  millions;  and  that  we  shall 
esteem  ourselves  highly  honored  at  all  times  your  excellency  shall  be  pleased  to 
join  us  in  the  needful  business. 

We  have  the  honor  to  be,  in  the  name  and  behalf  of  No.  39,  your  excellency's 
Devoted  friends  and  brothers, 

Robert  Adam, M. 
E.  C.  Dick,  S.  W. 
J.  Allison,  /.  W. 
Wm.  Ramsay,  Treas. 
His  Excellency  General  Washington. 

We  give  herewith  a  photographic  copy  of  the  General's  reply 
to  this  address,  the  original  of  which  is  among  the  many  Washington 
souvenirs  that  adorn  the  walls  of  Alexandria- Washington  Lodge-room. 

On  the  approach  of  the  festival  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  in  June 
the  Lodge  addressed  Washington  an  invitation  to  join  them,  to  which 
he  sent  the  following  reply : 

Mount  Vernon,  June  ig,  1784. 
Dear  Sir  :  With  pleasure,  I  received  the  invitation  of  the  master  and  members 
of  Lodge  No.  39,  to  dine  with  them  on  the  approaching  anniversary  of  St.  John 


284  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN  AND   THE   MASON. 

the  Baptist.     If  nothing  unforeseen  at  present  interferes,  I  will  have  the  honor 
of  doing  it.     For  the  polite  and  flattering  terms  in  which  you  have  expressed  their 
wishes,  you  will  please  accept  my  thanks. 
With  esteem  and  respect, 

I  am,  dear  sir, 

Your  most  Ob't  serv't, 

Go.  Washington. 
Wm.  Herbert,  Esquire. 

The  original  of  this  letter  is  also  in  Washington  Lodge  and  the 
records  of  the  meeting,  still  extant,  show  that  the  General  was  present 
and  participated  in  the  celebration  of  the  festival  and  that  it  was  on 
this  occasion  that  he  first  became  identified  with  the  Fraternity 
in  Alexandria  by  being  elected  an  honorary  member  of  Lodge  No.  39. 

The  minutes  state  that  a  banquet  was  served  at  Wise's  Tavern, 
which  he  (Washington),  in  company  with  the  members,  attended. 

In  the  month  of  August,  1786,  a  circular  letter  was  received 
from  the  Provincial  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania  notifying  the 
officers  and  members  of  No.  39  that  at  the  quarterly  communication 
of  the  above  named  Grand  Lodge,  to  be  held  on  the  fourth  Monday 
in  September  of  that  year,  the  question  of  establishing  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  Pennsylvania  independently  of  Great  Britain  or  any  other 
authority  would  be  considered,  and  requesting  the  presence  of  the 
Lodge  either  by  its  proper  officers  or  by  a  deputation  in  writing 
authorizing  some  Master  Mason  or  Masons  to  represent  the  Lodge 
upon  the  determination  of  the  question. 

The  reply  of  No.  39  was  communicated  by  Colonel  Ramsay 

as  follows : 

Alexandria,  September  15,  iy86. 
Mr.  James  Whitehead, 

Deputy  Grand  Secretary,  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania. 

Brother  :  Your  circular  letter,  of  the  8th  of  August,  we  have  had  the  honor 
of  receiving,  and  the  same  was  laid  before  the  brethren  of  Lodge  No.  39,  and  duly 
considered,  by  whom  I  am  instructed  to  express  their  regard  and  esteem  for  the 
fraternity  around  the  globe,  wherever  dispersed,  particularly  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Pennsylvania,  the  promotion  of  whose  honor  and  interest  they  have  much  at  heart, 
and  fervently  wish  to  advance.  The  subject  proposed  being  of  the  greatest  impor- 
tance and  magnitude,  the  collected  wisdom  of  the  whole,  under  your  jurisdiction, 
becomes  necessary  to  decide  thereupon,  and  from  our  youth  and  inexperience  in 
Masonic  matters,  we  may  be  inadequate  to  determine  on  the  propriety  of  the 
measure.  We  shall,  however,  endeavor  to  prevail  on  some  of  our  officers  to  appear 
for  U3  at  the  proposed  meeting.  If  in  case  we  should  not  succeed,  we  flatter  our- 
selves of  being  excused,  on  account  of  our  locality,  and  the  little  intercourse  our 
members  have,  at  present,  with  Philadelphia. 


LODGES  NOS.  39  AND  22  OF  ALEXANDRIA,  VA.        285 

It  might  be  alleged  we  could  provide  against  this  by  appointing  some  of 
the  brethren  there  to  represent  us,  and  which  plan  we  could  most  cheerfully  adopt, 
but  have  not  the  necessary  acquaintance  with  any  of  the  brethren.  Brothers 
Proctor  and  Young  excepted,  and  they,  we  are  well  informed,  represent  other 
Lodges  imder  your  care. 

That  we  are  as  separate  and  independent  of  Great  Britain,  as  of  Denmark, 
is  politically  true,  and  as  we  owe  them  no  subjection  as  a  state  or  nation,  how 
can  the  subjects  of  the  one  owe  any  to  the  subjects  of  the  other?  If  it  is  answered, 
none;  then,  query,  how  this  political  truth  may,  with  propriety,  be  applied  to 
the  Masonic  Order,  who,  as  they  do  not  intermeddle  with  state  matters,  ought 
not  to  draw  arguments  from  thence  to  dismember  themselves  from  the  jurisdiction 
of  those  they  hold  under,  except  from  similar  burthens,  or  impositions  exacted 
inconsistent  with  Masonry.  But  those,  no  doubt,  are  the  matters  to  be  discussed. 
We  have  only  to  request  (in  case  we  should  stand  unrepresented),  that  you  will 
inform  us  of  the  result  of  your  deliberations. 

I  am,  with  due  respect, 

Your  brother  and  servant, 

Dennis  Ramsay,  Secretary. 

A  circular  letter  from  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania,  received 
February  23,  1787,  informed  the  Lodge  that  that  Grand  Lodge  had 
been  established  independently  of  Great  Britain  and  requested  the 
return  of  the  warrant  issued  to  No.  39,  February  3,  1783,  in  order 
to  its  renewal  under  the  new  organization.  Desiring  to  be  governed 
in  accordance  with  the  usages  of  Masonry  in  determining  the  course 
to  be  pursued,  it  was  ordered  at  this  meeting  "that  Colonel  Michael 
Ryan,  a  member  of  the  Lodge,  be  requested  to  inquire  of  James 
Mercer,  Esq.,  upon  what  principle  he  was  appointed  Grand  Master 
of  the  different  Lodges  in  Virginia,"  and  on  the  3rd  of  March  following 
Colonel  Ryan  reported  that  he  had  made. the  necessary  inquiry  of 
Honorable  James  Mercer,  late  Grand  Master,  and  was — 

Happy  to  say  that  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia  is  constitutionally  appointed 
consistent  with  the  strictest  rules  of  Masonry,  and  independently  of  all  foreign 
jurisdiction ;  that  in  its  formation  the  Grand  Lodge  had  not,  in  any  one  instance, 
deviated  from  the  ancient  landmarks  of  Masonry;  and  that  our  dependence  on 
a  Grand  Lodge  at  Richmond,  to  which  we  may  conveniently  send  representatives, 
will  be  more  natural  than  our  present  situation. 

At  this  meeting  the  Lodge  decided  that  it  would  be  more  con- 
venient for  it  to  work  under  the  authority  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Virginia  than  under  that  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  having  resolved  to  make  application  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Virginia  for  a  Charter,  recommended  the  following  persons  for 
appointment  by  the  Grand  Lodge:  George  Washington,  Esq.,  Master; 


286  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

Robert  McCrea,  Deputy  Master;  William  Hunter,  Jr.,  Senior  Warden; 
John  Allison,  Junior  Warden. 

To  Messrs.  Robert  McCrea,  William  Hunter,  Jr.,  John  Allison  and  William  H. 
Powell  was  assigned  the  duty  of  waiting  upon  General  Washington  to  ascertain 
whether  it  would  be  agreeable  to  him  to  be  named  in  the  charter,  and  WilHam 
Hunter,  Jr.,  and  John  Allison,  to  make  application  to  the  Grand  Lodge  at  Richmond, 
for  the  charter. 

General  Washington,  having  given  his  consent  to  the  use  of  his  name,  the 
application  to  the  Grand  Lodge  was  accompanied  by  the  following  letter  dated 
October  25,  1788,  prepared  by  Colonel  Charles  Simms  and  Robert  McCrea,  Esq.: 

"The  brethren  of  Lodge  No.  39,  Ancient  York  Masons,  were  congregated, 
and  have  hitherto  wrought  under  a  warrant  from  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Pennsylvania, 
who  having  since  the  revolution  declared  themselves  independent  of  any  foreign 
jurisdiction,  and  also  notified  us  that  it  was  necessary  that  we  should  renew  our 
warrant  under  the  new  established  Grand  Lodge,  the  brethren  composing  this 
Lodge,  taking  the  same  imder  consideration,  and  having  found  it  inconvenient  to 
attend  the  different  communications  of  that  honorable  society  in  Philadelphia, 
and  as  a  Grand  Lodge  is  established  in  our  own  state,  at  Richmond,  agreeably  to 
the  ancient  landmarks,  whose  communications  we  can  with  more  ease  and  con- 
venience attend,  have,  at  sundry  preceding  meetings,  resolved  to  ask  your  honorable 
society  for  a  new  warrant,  which  has  already  been  communicated  to  you  by  letter, 
and  also  by  our  Brother  Hunter,  personally,  who  hath  obtained  an  entry  of  this 
Lodge  on  your  minutes. 

"We  have  now  to  observe,  that  at  a  meeting  of  this  Lodge,  on  the  25th  inst. 
it  was  unanimously  resolved,  that  an  application  should  be  immediately  made  by 
this  Lodge  to  your  honorable  society  for  a  charter,  which  we  now  do,  and  pray 
that  it  may  be  granted  to  us. 

"it  is  also  the  earnest  desire  of  the  members  of  this  Lodge  that  our  Brother 
George  Washington,  Esq.,  should  be  named  in  the  charter  as  Master  of  the  Lodge. 
The  names  of  the  other  necessary  officers  of  the  Lodge  will  be  mentioned  to  you 
by  our  Brother  Hunter." 

At  the  next  regular  Communication  of  the  Grand  Lodge  (held  at  Mason's 
Hall,  in  the  city  of  Richmond),  the  petition  of  this  Lodge  was  granted,  and  its 
registry  number  changed  from  No.  39  of  Pennsylvania  to  No.  22  of  Virginia. 

We  give  herewith  a  photographic  copy  of  the  Virginia  Charter, 
two-thirds  the  size  of  the  original,  and  for  the  convenience  of  our 
readers  also  print  its  contents. 

Edm.  Randolph: 

To  All,  and  Every  to  whose  knowledge  these  presents  shall  come.  Greeting : 
Whereas,  It  has  been  duly  represented  to  us,  that  in  the  County  of  Fairfax, 
and  Borough  of  Alexandria,  in  the  Commonwealth  of  Virginia,  there  reside  a 
number  of  the  brethren  of  the  Society  of  Freemasons,  who  have  assembled  as  a 
Lodge  agreeably  to  the  regulations  of  Masonry  by  the  title  of  the  Alexandria  Lodge, 
and  it  appearing  to  be  for  the  good  and  increase  of  the  Fraternity  that  the  said 


i%„„  ,..y,./.:. ,/...,. A.,.- / /"//  •  /  ,/         ,/    -v.-,,    „        //,  /'■'...'  .  /     '  /  iw 

■I  /i,„r  /v  t'lt,'  lAi  t/,,,y  l!i(itr.  if, 

/„,„£;, J :  (if/ 

r,,/  J.J.J,    ..y^/ '/l)H,ll„  „.,l/,M  .l„f,«^^Hu/.J,uf/ f„,y  ,/,. 


..  %ii li..,-r  „.f!j,   lU  .„..f-J'i..r,,,/„„^,/,^, 


■"/■■■ 


'tiu/ ,.ii,4U.J,tJ r.i.,foM,y.W\t,,c,f,.e  til. 


tl.J  .,/.:.  /..  ./../.„. J  r/,.u»r  //t..../.r...  f4\,r,/<..... 


^.,J.,J,..^ 

„./  ,l//,.lin  tlji,'rrr.J  ,i,lh„„//y,n,C'J  ' 


.;",'.-  M„J,.  .„.,/  in,.,f.,.j  l,  ,/„,„...  ,.„,..j  ,    „„„.,„^,   y„,„. 


..  t,. ,/,..,,/  i/„:,-.,u,J.  /,,/y.  /,„(C,  rt.,,.,/,/-,/^;'.  v; 


•,;J../.,i,'.-,^.,„i^ 


'/,,W,    f.,f  „fre/ift/,r,-^  fiertr,.  l/,.-,f 


,/,'U,'r„,^  /.Ki, //.„„/,  :„.,/, 


•■^"■rr" 


„,../,/..'/■■„,/...„  ^"'^    '  •'    ""'"'■' 

'r/,.M 


.,  /...., 


■rr,../,..,„/ .,:,/,   l/,r    <j'^„4-   /,Jj,.,^„,/,,  „//„,,(„„  „,,^/l„^  j/«,./,^-^ //„V///«',^'«„/'// :,  „/.;...  ^//^.y,,,.^,...  I.,,,,,^ 


nil/  att  '/if  til 
"  .*,/  .;■  /..  . .  .ljr.r  .'fill//  rrrt!,^  ^ 


^■^ 


///.,.,/ff  t/f.t. 


•ni/ lll'riitlrr.'   vJ  fA/tf^nuf.    .'fly 


r 


'/ :\V 


•SSv-' 


HE  CHARTER  OP  ALEX.\  . 


-|    11      \*m 


ffi  Mia  I 


LODGES  NOS.  39  AND  22  OF  ALEXANDRIA,  VA.        287 

brethren  should  be  encouraged  to  proceed  and  work,  as  heretofore  they  have  done 
in  a  Regular  Lodge. 

Know  Ye,  That  we,  Edmund  Randolph,  Esq.,  Governor  of  the  Common- 
wealth aforesaid,  and  Grand  Master  of  the  Most  Ancient  and  Honorable  Society 
of  Freemasons,  within  the  same,  by  and  with  the  consent  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Virginia,  do  hereby  constitute  and  appoint  our  illustrious  and  well-beloved  brother, 
George  Washington,  Esq.,  late  General  and  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  forces 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  and  our  worthy  brethren,  Robert  McCrea,  William 
Hunter,  Jr.,  and  John  Allison,  Esq.,  together  with  all  such  other  brethren  as  may 
be  admitted  to  associate  with  them,  to  be  a  just,  true,  and  regular  Lodge  of  Free- 
masons, by  the  name,  title,  and  designation  of  the  Alexandria  Lodge,  No.  22. 

And  further  do  hereby  appoint  and  ordain,  all  regular  Lodges  to  hold  and 
acknowledge,  and  respect  them,  as  such;  hereby  granting  and  committing  to  them 
and  their  successors  full  power  and  authority  to  assemble  and  convene  as  a  regular 
Lodge,  to  enter  and  receive  Apprentices,  pass  Fellow-Crafts,  and  raise  Master 
Masons,  according  to  the  known  and  established  customs  of  Ancient  Masonry, 
and  No  otherwise,  and  also  to  elect  and  choose  Masters,  Wardens,  and  all  other 
officers,  annually,  at  such  time  or  times  as  to  them  shall  seem  meet  and  convenient ; 
and  to  exact  from  their  members  such  compensation  as  they  shall  judge  necessary 
for  the  support  of  their  Lodge,  the  relief  of  their  brethren  in  distress,  and  contri- 
bution towards  the  Grand  Charity,  and  agreeably  to  the  Book  of  Constitutions 
and  the  laws  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia,  and  recommending  to  the  brethren 
aforesaid,  to  receive  and  obey  their  Superiors  in  all  things  lawful  and  honest  as 
becomes  the  honor  and  harmony  of  Masons,  and  to  record  in  their  books  this 
present  charter  with  their  own  regulations  and  by-laws,  and  their  whole  acts  and 
proceedings,  from  time  to  time,  as  they  occur,  and  by  no  means  to  desert  their 
said  Lodge  hereby  constituted,  or  form  themselves  into  separate  meetings,  with- 
out the  consent  and  approbation  of  their  Master  and  Wardens  for  the  time  being. 
All  which,  by  acceptance  hereof,  they  are  holden  and  engaged  to  observe ;  and  the 
brethren  aforesaid  are  to  acknowledge  and  recognize  the  Grand  Master  and  Grand 
Lodge  of  Virginia  as  their  Superiors,  and  shall  pay  due  regard  and  obedience  to 
all  such  instructions  as  they  have  received  or  hereafter  shall  receive  from  thence. 
And,  lastly,  they  are  requested  to  correspond  with  the  Grand  Lodge,  and  to  attend 
the  meetings  thereof,  by  their  Master  and  Wardens,  or  their  proxies  being  Master 
Masons  and  members  of  their  said  Lodge. 

Given  under  the  Seal  of  the  Grand  Lodge  at  Richmond,  in  the  State  of 
Virginia,  the  28th  day  of  April,  A.  L.  5788,  A.  D.  1788. 
By  the  Grand  Master's  Command. 

William  Waddill, 

Grand  Sec'y. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  Washington  became  the  charter  Master 
of  Lodge  No.  22,  under  the  Virginia  jurisdiction,  April  28,  1788, 
serving  as  such  until  December  20  following,  when,  as  the  extract 
from  the  minutes  of  that  date  shows,  he  was  unanimously  elected  to 
succeed  himself  for  the  full  term,  serving  in  all  about  twenty  months; 


288  WASHINGTON  THE   MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

His  excellency,  General  Washington,  unanimously  elected  Master;  Robert 
McCrea,  Senior  Warden;  William  Hunter,  Jr.,  Junior  Warden;  William  Hodgson, 
Treasurer;  Joseph  Greenway,  Secretary;  Dr.  Frederick  Spanbergen,  Senior  Deacon ; 
George  Richards,  Junior  Deacon. 

In  a  few  months  after  tliis  election,  General  Washington  was 
called  from  his  rural  pursuits  to  install  the  new  government,  and  there 
is  no  record  of  his  attendance  at  any  of  the  meetings  of  the  Lodge 
during  his  second  term  as  Master,  after  the  27  th  of  December, 
following  his  election  on  the  20th,  when  he  is  noted  as  present.  On 
that  occasion  (27th)  the  officers  were  undoubtedly  installed,  although 
the  records  make  no  mention  of  the  installation  of  any  of  the  officers 
elected  for  that  year.  Recording  those  present,  they  briefly  state 
that,  "after  transacting  the  business  before  them,  they  all  repaired 
to  Wise's,  where  an  elegant  repast  was  served." 

His  was  a  similar  case  to  that  of  Edmund  Randolph,  who,  as 
Grand  Master,  had  granted  the  charter  in  which  Washington  was 
named  as  Worshipful  Master.  Mr.  Randolph,  appointed  to  a  place 
in  General  Washington's  cabinet  during  his  second  term  as  Grand 
Master,  was  also  at  the  seat  of  government  in  New  York,  and  the 
Masonic  duties  which  would  have  devolved  upon  both  these  emi- 
nent ISIasons,  had  they  been  within  their  jurisdictions,  necessarily 
fell  upon  their  deputies. 

The  first  Lodge  in  Alexandria,  No.  39,  had  been  organized  by 
and  its  membership  consisted  largely  of  revolutionary  officers,  all 
of  whom  enjoyed  an  acquaintance  with  General  Washington.  Indeed 
some  of  them  were  among  his  most  intimate  friends,  and  upon  its 
institution  under  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia  in  1788,  nearly  all 
of  the  original  members  were  still  alive  and  active  in  Masonic  circles. 
Among  them  were  Colonels  David  Arell,  Wilham  Payne,  Roger  West, 
Dennis  Ramsay,  Charles  Little,  George  Gilpin,  George  Deneale, 
Charles  Simms,  Majors  Henry  Piercy  and  William  Johnston,  Captain 
John  Hawkins,  Dr.  Elisha  Cullen  Dick,  Nathaniel  C.  Hunter,  Samuel 
Hilton  and  numerous  others. 

These  were  the  neighbors  of  Washington — the  men  who,  in  the 
e very-day  walk  of  life,  enjoyed  his  association.  Their  houses  were 
open  to  him  and  he  entered  at  liberty,  and  hardly  a  week  passed, 
according  to  his  diary,  that  some  of  them  did  not  partake  of  the 
hospitahty  of  their  friend  at  his  homestead  on  the  Potomac. 

In  the  days  past,  before  the  great  struggle  with  England,  they 
had  joined  him  in  the  chase,  and  when   the  revolution  came  on. 


LODGES  NOS.  39  AND  22  OF  ALEXANDRIA,  VA.        289 

they  were  with  him  on  the  battlefield,  and  most  of  them  remained 
to  pay  the  last  tribute  of  respect  to  his  memory  and  bear  to  the 
sepulchral  chamber  the  dreamless  dust  of  their  beloved  friend. 

General  Washington's  association  with  the  Lodge  very  naturally 
brought  the  institution  into  immediate  prominence,  and  few  important 
ceremonies  were  performed  in  and  around  this  section  in  which 
the  Masonic  Fraternity  took  any  part  whatever  where  Washington's 
Lodge  was  not  a  conspicuous  figure.  One  of  the  subjects  which 
divided  Congress  during  his  first  presidential  term  was  the  selection 
of  a  site  for  the  permanent  home  of  the  government.  This  vexed 
question  finally  settled,  and  the  limits  of  the  District  of  Columbia 
agreed  upon,  Lodge  No.  22  was  selected  to  lay  the  first  corner-stone. 
The  ceremony  was  performed  Friday,  April  15,  1791,  by  Dr.  FHsha 
Cullen  Dick,  who  had  succeeded  General  Washington  as  Worshipful 
Master.  The  stone  was  set  on  Jones'  Point,  near  the  mouth  of 
Great  Hunting  Creek,  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac  a  short  distance 
below  Alexandria,  and  stands  by  the  side  of  the  Light  House,  which 
can  be  seen  from  either  the  boat  or  electric  cars  on  their  trips  to  and 
from  Mount  Vernon. 

The  following  account  of  the  setting  of  this  stone  was  written 
by  a  gentleman  of  Alexandria  and  published  in  the  "United  States 
Gazette"  at  Philadelphia,  April  30,  17 19: 

Alexandria,  April  zist,  ijgi. 

On  Friday,  the  15th  instant,  the  Hon.  Daniel  Carroll  and  Hon.  David 
Stuart*  arrived  in  this  town  to  superintend  the  fixing  of  the  first  corner-stone 
of  the  Federal  District. 

The  Mayor  and  Commonalty,  together  with  the  members  of  the  different 
Lodges  of  the  town,  at  three  o'clock,  waited  on  the  commissioners  at  Mr.  Wise's, 
where  they  dined,  and,  after  drinking  a  glass  of  wine  to  the  following  sentiment, 
viz. :  "  May  the  stone  which  we  are  about  to  place  in  the  groxmd,  remain  an  immov- 
able monument  of  the  wisdom  and  unanimity  of  North  America,"  the  comoany 
proceeded  to  Jones'  Point  in  the  following  order: 

1st.  The  Town  Sergeant. 

2nd.  Hon.  Daniel  Carroll  and  the  Mayor. 

3rd.  Mr.  Ellicott  and  the  Recorder. 

4th.  Such  of  the  Common  Coimcil  and  Aldermen  as  were  not  Freemasons. 

5th.  Strangers. 

6th.  The  Master  of  Lodge  No.  22,  with  Dr.  David  Stuart  on  his  right  and 
the  Rev.  James  Muir  on  his  left,  followed  by  the  rest  of  the  Fraternity,  in  their 
usual  form  of  procession. 

Lastly.  The  citizens,  two  by  two. 

*Dr.  David  Stuart  married  the  widow  of  Mrs.  Washington's  son,  John  Custis. 


290 


WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THB  MASON. 


When  Mr.  ElHcott  had  ascertained  the  precise  point  from  which  the  first 
line  of  the  District  was  to  proceed,  the  Master  of  the  Lodge  and  Dr.  Stuart,  assisted 
by  others  of  their  brethren,  placed  the  stone.  After  which  a  deposit  of  corn,  wine, 
and  oil  was  placed  upon  it,  and  the  following  observations  were  made  by  Rev. 
James  Muir: 

"  Of  America  it  may  be  said,  as  of  Judea  of  old,  that  it  is  a  good  land  and 
large — a  land  of  brooks,  of  waters,  of  foimtains,  and  depths  that  spring  out  of  the 
valleys  and  hills — a  land  of  wheat,  and  barley,  and  vines,  and  fig-trees,  and  pome- 
granates— a  land  of  oil,  olives,  and  honey — a  land  wherein  we  eat  bread  without 
scarceness,  and  have  lack  of  nothing — a  land  whose  stones  are  iron,  and  out  of 
whose  hills  thou  mayst  dig  brass — a  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  careth  for; 
the  eyes  of  the  Lord  thy  God  are  always  upon  it;  from  the  beginning  of  the  year 
even  unto  the  end  of  the  year. 

"  May  Americans  be  grateful  and  virtuous,  and  they  shall  insure  the  indulgence 
of  Providence;  may  they  be  unanimous  and  just,  and  they  shall  rise  to  greatness; 
may  true  patriotism  actuate  every  heart;  may  it  be  the  devout  and  universal  wish: 
Peace  be  within  thy  walls,  O  America,  and  prosperity  within  thy  palaces !  Amiable 
it  is  for  brethren  to  dwell  together  in  unity ;  it  is  more  fragrant  than  the  perfumes 
on  Aaron's  garment;  it  is  more  refreshing  than  the  dews  on  Hermon's  hill. 

"  May  this  stone  long  commemorate  the  goodness  of  God  in  those  uncommon 
events  which  have  given  America  a  name  among  nations.  Under  this  stone  may 
jealousy  and  selfishness  be  forever  btiried.  From  this  stone  may  a  superstructure 
arise,  whose  glory,  whose  magnificence,  whose  stability,  unequalled  hitherto,  shall 
astonish  the  world,  and  invite  even  the  savage  of  the  wilderness  to  take  shelter 
under  its  roof." 

The  company  partook  of  some  refreshments,  and  then  returned  to  the  place 
from  whence  they  came,  where  a  number  of  toasts  were  drank;  and  the  following 
was  delivered  by  the  Master  of  the  Lodge  (Dr.  Dick),  and  received  with  every  token 
of  appreciation : 

"Brethren  and  gentlemen,  may  jealousy,  that  'green-eyed  monster,'  be 
buried  deep  under  the  work  which  we  have  this  day  completed,  never  to  rise  again 
within  the  Federal  District." 

This  sentiment  no  doubt  pervaded  the  breast  of  every  individual 
present. 

Washington's  second  inauguration  took  place  in  the  Senate 
Chamber  in  Philadelphia  on  the  4th  of  March,  1793,  and  on  the 
1 8th  of  September  following  he  laid  the  comer-stone  of  the  Capitol 
of  the  United  States  in  the  city  that  bears  his  name.  This  was  the 
next  important  function  of  the  kind  in  which  Lodge  No.  22  partici- 
pated. The  Masonic  ceremonies  on  this  occasion  were  arranged  by 
and  under  the  supervision  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Maryland;  the 
stone,  or,  to  be  more  exact,  the  plate,  was  laid  by  His  Excellency, 
General  Washington;  and  through  the  courtesy  of  the  acting  Grand 
Master  of  Maryland,  the  Lodge,  of  which  he  was  then  Past  Master, 


LODGES  NOS.  39  AND  22  OF  ALEXANDRIA,  VA.        291 

held  the  post  of  honor  in  the  procession  and  acted  as  personal  escort 
to  the  President. 

The  stone  and  the  plate  with  the  inscription  were  deposited  in 
the  southeast  corner  of  the  building  instead  of  the  northeast,  as  is 
now  the  custom.  The  inscription  on  the  plate  stated  that  Alexandria 
Lodge,  No.  22,  was  present  and  participated  in  the  ceremonies. 

The  following  account  of  the  ceremonies,  published  in  the  news- 
papers of  that  day,  will  give  the  reader  a  fairly  correct  idea  of  the 
program  arranged  for  the  occasion: 

On  Wednesday,  one  of  the  grandest  Masonic  processions  took  place,  for  the 
ptirpose  of  laying  the  corner-stone  of  the  Capitol  of  the  United  States,  which, 
perhaps,  was  ever  exhibited  on  the  like  important  occasion.  About  ten  o'clock, 
Lodge  No.  9  was  visited  by  that  congregation  so  graceful  to  the  craft.  Lodge 
No.  22,  of  Virginia,  with  all  their  officers  and  regalia;  and  directly  afterwards 
appeared  on  the  southern  banks  of  the  grand  river  Potomac,  one  of  the  finest 
companies  of  Volunteer  Artillery*  that  has  been  lately  seen,  parading  to  receive 
the  President  of  the  United  States,  who  shortly  came  in  sight  with  his  suite,  to  whom 
the  artillery  paid  their  military  honors,  and  his  Excellency  and  suite  crossed  the 
riverf  and  was  received  in  Maryland  by  the  oSicers  and  brethren  of  No.  22,  Virginia, 
and  No.  9,  Maryland,  whom  the  President  headed,  preceded  by  a  band  of  music; 
the  rear  brought  up  by  the  Alexandria  Volunteer  Artillery,  with  grand  solemnity 
of  march,  proceeded  to  the  President's  Square,  in  the  city  of  Washington,  where 
they  were  met  and  saluted  by  No.  15,  of  the  city  of  Washington,  in  all  their  elegant 
badges  and  clothing,  headed  by  Brother  Joseph  Clark,  Rt.  Wor.  G.  M.  p.  t., 
and  conducted  to  a  large  lodge  prepared  for  the  piu-pose  of  their  reception.  After 
a  short  space  of  time,  by  the  vigilance  of  Brother  Clotworthy  Stephenson,  Grand 
Marshal  p.  t.,  the  brotherhood  and  other  bodies  were  disposed  in  a  second  order  of 
procession,  which  took  place  amidst  a  brilliant  crowd  of  spectators  of  both  sexes, 
according  to  the  following  arrangement,  viz. : 

The  Surveying  Department  of  the  city  of  Washington. 

Mayor  and  Corporation  of  Georgetown. 

Virginia  Artillery. 

Commissioners  of  the  city  of  Washington,  and  their  Attendants. 

Stone-cutters — Mechanics. 

Masons  of  the  first  degree. 

Bible,  etc.,  on  grand  cushions. 

Deacons,  with  staffs  of  office. 

Masons  of  the  second  degree. 

Stewards,  with  wands. 
Masons  of  the  third  degree. 


*Alexandria  Artillery.     The  Alexandria  troops  escorted  General  Washington  from  Mount 
Vernon  to  "The  Federal  City"  and  back  to  Mount  Vernon. 

tAt  the  foot  of  Thirty-second  Street,  in  Georgetown,  now  west  Washington. 


292  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN    AND   THE   MASON. 

Wardens,  with  truncheons. 

Secretaries,  with  tools  of  office. 

Past  Masters,  with  their  regaUa. 

Treasurers,  with  their  jewels. 

Band  of  music. 

Lodge  No.  22,  Virginia,  disposed  in  their  own  order. 

Com,  wine,  and  oil. 

Grand  Master  pro  tem.  Brother  George  Washington,  and  Worshipful  Master  of 

No.  2  2,  of  Virginia. 
Grand  Sword  Bearer. 

The  procession  marched  two  abreast,  in  the  greatest  solemn  dignity,  with 
music  playing,  drums  beating,  colors  flying,  and  spectators  rejoicing,  from  the 
President's  Square  to  the  Capitol,  in  the  city  of  Washington,  where  the  Grand 
Marshal  ordered  a  halt,  and  directed  each  file  in  the  procession  to  incline  two  steps, 
one  to  the  right  and  one  to  the  left,  and  face  each  other,  which  formed  a  hollow 
oblong  square,  through  which  the  Grand  Sword-Bearer  led  the  van;  followed  by 
the  Grand  Master  pro  tem.  on  the  left,  the  President  of  the  United  States  in  the 
center,  and  the  Worshipful  Master  of  No.  22,  Virginia,  on  the  right;  all  the  other 
orders  that  composed  the  procession  advanced  in  the  reverse  of  their  order  of  march 
from  the  President's  Square  to  the  southeast  corner  of  the  Capitol,  and  the  artillery 
filed  off  to  a  destined  ground  to  display  their  maneuvers  and  discharge  their  cannon. 
The  President  of  the  United  States,  the  Grand  Master  pro  tem.,  and  the  Worshipful 
Master  of  No.  22,  taking  their  stand  to  the  east  of  a  large  stone,  and  all  the  Craft 
forming  a  circle  westward,  stood  a  short  time  in  solemn  order. 

The  artillery  discharged  a  volley  The  Grand  Marshal  delivered  the  Com- 
missioners a  large  silver  plate,  with  an  inscription  thereon,  which  the  Commissioners 
ordered  to  be  read,  and  was  as  follows : 

"This  southeast  comer-stone  of  the  Capitol  of  the  United  States  of  America 
in  the  city  of  Washington,  was  laid  on  the  i8th  day  of  September,  1793,  in  the 
thirteenth  year  of  American  Independence,  in  the  first  year  of  the  second  term  of 
the  presidency  of  George  Washington,  whose  virtues  in  the  civil  administration 
of  his  country  have  been  as  conspicuous  and  beneficial  as  his  military  valor  and 
prudence  have  been  useful  in  establishing  her  liberties,  and  in  the  year  of  Masonry 
5793,  by  the  President  of  the  United  States,  in  concert  with  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Maryland,  several  Lodges  under  its  jurisdiction,  and  Lodge  No.  22,  from  Alexandria, 
Virginia.  Thomas  Johnson,  David  Stuart  and  Daniel  Carroll,  Commissioners. 
Joseph  Clark,  R.  W.  G.  M.  pro  tem.,  James  Hoban  and  Stephen  Hallate,  Architects. 
Colin  WiUiamson,  Master  Mason." 

The  artillery  discharged  a  volley,  The  plate  was  then  delivered  to  the 
President,  who,  attended  by  the  Grand  Master  pro  tem.  and  three  Most  Worshipful 
Masters,  descended  to  the  cavazion  trench  and  deposited  the  plate,  and  laid  it  on 
the  comer-stone  of  the  Capitol  of  the  United  States  of  America,  on  which  were 
deposited  corn,  wine  and  oil,  when  the  whole  congregation  joined  in  reverential 
prayer,  which  was  succeeded  by  Masonic  chanting  honors,  and  a  volley  from  the 
artillery. 


o 
z 

a 


Z 


c/; 
Z 


LODGES  NOS.  39  AND  2  2  OF  ALEXANDRIA,  VA.        293 

The  President  of  the  United  States,  and  his  attendant  brethren,  ascended 
from  the  cavazion  to  the  east  of  the  comer-stone,  and  there  the  Grand  Master 
pro  tern.,  elevated  on  a  triple  rostrum,  delivered  an  oration  fitting  the  occasion, 
which  was  received  with  brotherly  love  and  commendation.  At  intervals  dming 
the  delivery  of  the  oration  several  volleys  were  discharged  by  the  artillery.  The 
ceremony  ended  in  prayer.  Masonic  chanting  honors,  and  a  i5-volley  from  the 
artillery. 

The  whole  company  retired  to  an  extensive  booth,  where  an  ox  of  five  himdred 
pounds  weight  was  barbecued,  of  which  the  company  generally  partook,  with  every 
abundance  of  other  recreation.  The  festival  concluded  with  fifteen  successive 
volleys  from  the  artillery,  whose  military  discipline  and  maneuvers  merit  every 
commendation.  Before  dark  the  whole  company  departed  with  joyful  hopes  of 
the  production  of  their  labor. 

There  were  present  from  Lodge  No.  22:  Dr.  Elisha  Cullen  Dick,  Master; 
James  Taylor,  acting  Senior  Warden ;  Col.  Dennis  Ramsay,  acting  Junior  Warden ; 
Col.  Charles  Simms,  Senior  Deacon;  James  Wilson,  Junior  Deacon;  Michael 
Flannery,  Secretary;  John  Dunlap,  Treasurer;  Guy  Atkinson,  Robert  Allison, 
William  Bird,  P.  Cazenave,  Archibald  Dobbin,  Benjamin  Dulaney,  Sr.,  James 
Douglas,  Jr.,  George  Deneale,  William  Deakins,  John  Harper,  Ferdinando  Fairfax, 
Col.  George  Gilpin,  Dr.  James  Gillis,  George  Gray,  Joseph  Greenaway,  John 
Chapman  Hunter,  Nathaniel  C.  Hunter,  William  Herbert,  Benjamin  A.  Hamp, 
Col.  William  Payne,  John  Rumney,  John  C.  Seton,  Jonathan  Swift,  Jesse  Taylor,  Jr., 
William  Hodgson,  Col.  Charles  Little,  Philip  G.  Marsteller,  Michael  Madden, 
Rev.  James  Muir,  Dr.  John  Orr,  Major  Henry  Piercy,  Charles  Turner,  Joseph 
Thomas,  James  Watson,  Col.  Roger  West,  Robert  Young,  and  John  Christopher 
Kempff,  Tiler. 

No  act  of  General  Washington  was  more  historic  than  this, 
and  yet  it  has  found  no  place  in  the  pages  of  our  country's  history. 
The  gavel  which  he  used  on  the  occasion  was  made  from  a  piece  of 
the  marble  used  in  constructing  the  building  -and  is  now  the  valued 
possession  of  Lodge  No.  9,  of  Georgetown,  while  the  little  trowel, 
with  its  silver  blade  and  ivory  handle  (a  picture  of  which  is  given 
elsewhere  in  this  work),  is  the  cherished  property  of  Alexandria- 
Washington  Lodge.  The  apron  and  sash  worn  by  the  General 
during  these  ceremonies  can  also  be  seen  in  the  sanctum  of  Wash- 
ington Lodge,  having  been  presented  to  the  Lodge  by  the  General's 
nephew,  Lawrence  Lewis,  for  his  son  Lorenzo,  in  1812. 

After  the  expiration  of  General  Washington's  second  presidential 
term,  he  returned  to  Mount  Vernon  to  begin  again  his  favorite 
occupation  of  a  farmer,  and  to  renew  his  social  intercourse  with  his 
former  neighbors,  rejoicing  in  the  prospect  of  a  tranquil  future. 

Letters  of  congratulation  and  testimonials  of  high  regard  came 
with  every  post  and  from  all  sections  of  the  country;  even  the  great 


294  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN    AND   THE    MASON. 

dignitaries  of  Europe  hastened  to  pay  their  tributes  of  respect  and 
veneration. 

Among  the  first  of  these  tokens  of  esteem,  and  not  the  least 
welcome,  to  be  received  by  him,  was  an  invitation  from  the  Master 
of  his  own  Masonic  Lodge  in  Alexandria,  to  dine  with  them,  accom- 
panied by  a  copy  of  an  address  congratulating  him  upon  his  return 
to  private  life,  with  prayers  for  his  future  happiness.  Notwithstand- 
ing this  communication  was  received  at  a  time  when,  according  to 
his  own  statement,  "he  was  in  the  situation  of  a  new  beginner, 
surrounded  by  joiners,  masons  and  painters,"  to  such  an  extent  that 
he  "had  scarcely  a  room  to  put  a  friend  in  or  sit  in  myself  without 
■  the  music  of  hammers  or  the  odoriferous  smell  of  paint,"  he  laid 
aside  his  labors  and  graciously  accepted  the  invitation  of  his  Lodge, 
as  the  following  correspondence  indicates  and  the  records  of  the 
Lodge  confirm: 

Alexandria,  March  28,  1797. 

Most  Respected  Brother:  Brothers  Ramsay  and  Marsteller  wait  upon 
you  with  a  copy  of  an  address  which  has  been  prepared  by  the  unanimous  desire 
of  the  Ancient  York  Masons  of  Lodge  No.  22.  It  is  their  earnest  request  that  you 
will  partake  of  a  dinner  with  them,  and  that  you  will  please  appoint  the  time  most 
convenient  for  you  to  attend. 

I  am,  most  beloved  Brother, 

Your  Most  Obd't  and  humble  serv't, 

James  Gillis,  M. 
General  George  Washington. 

The  address  presented  by  Brothers  Ramsay  and  Marsteller 
follows : 

Most  Respected  Brother:  The  Ancient  York  Masons  of  Lodge  No.  22 
offer  you  their  warmest  congratulations  on  your  retirement  from  your  useful  labors. 
Under  the  Supreme  Architect  of  the  Universe,  you  have  been  the  Master  Workman 
in  erecting  the  Temple  of  Liberty  in  the  West,  on  the  broad  basis  of  equal  rights. 
In  your  wise  administration  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States  for  the  space 
of  eight  years,  you  have  kept  within  the  compass  of  our  happy  constitution,  and 
acted  upon  the  square  with  foreign  nations,  and  thereby  preser\-ed  your  country 
in  peace,  and  promoted  the  prosperity  and  happiness  of  your  fellow-citizens. 
And  now  that  you  have  returned  from  the  labors  of  public  Ufe,  to  the  refreshment 
of  domestic  tranquillity,  they  ardently  pray  that  you  may  long  enjoy  all  the  happi- 
ness which  the  Terrestrial  Lodge  can  afford,  and  finally  be  received  to  a  Celestial 
Lodge,  where  love,  peace,  and  harmony  forever  reign,  and  cherubim  and  seraphim 
shall  hail  you  Brother! 

By  the  unanimous  desire  of  Lodge  No.  22. 

James  Gillis,  Master. 
General  George  Washington. 


LODGES  NOS.  39  AND  22  OF  ALEXANDRIA,  VA.        295 

To  this  address  General  Washington  made  the  following  reply : 

Brothers  of  the  Ancient  York  Masons  No.  22 :  While  my  heart  acknowl- 
edges with  brotherly  love  your  affectionate  congratulations  on  my  retirement  from 
the  arduous  toils  of  past  years,  my  gratitude  is  no  less  excited  by  your  kind  wishes 
for  my  future  happiness.  If  it  has  pleased  the  Supreme  Architect  of  the  Universe 
to  make  me  an  humble  instrument  to  promote  the  welfare  and  happiness  of  my 
fellow-men,  my  exertions  have  been  abundantly  recompensed  by  the  kind  partiality 
with  which  they  have  been  received.  And  the  assurances  you  give  me  of  your 
belief  that  I  have  acted  upon  the  square  in  my  public  capacity,  will  be  among  my 
principal  enjoyments  in  this  Terrestrial  Lodge. 

Go.  Washington. 

General  Washington  attended  the  meeting  and,  while  the 
minutes  give  only  a  meager  account  of  the  ceremonies,  both  the 
address  of  the  Lodge  and  his  reply  are  of  record.  "These  were  read, 
after  which  the  Lodge  went  in  procession  from  their  room  to  Mr. 
Albert's  tavern  where  they  partook  of  an  elegant  dinner  prepared 
for  the  occasion  at  which  the  utmost  harmony  prevailed  and  the 
following  toasts  offered :  First,  "  Prosperity  to  the  Most  Ancient  and 
Honorable  Craft;"  second,  "All  those  who  live  within  the  compass 
and  the  square;"  third,  "The  temple  of  liberty — may  its  pillars 
be  the  poles,  its  canopy  the  heavens,  and  its  votaries  all  mankind;" 
fourth,  "The  virtuous  nine;"  fifth,  "The  United  States  of  America;" 
sixth,  "The  Grand  Master  of  Virginia;"  seventh,  "All  oppressed 
and  distressed,  wherever  dispersed;"  eighth,  "Masons'  wives  and 
Masons'  bairns,  and  all  who  wish  to  lie  in  Masons'  arms;"  ninth, 
"May  brotherly  love  unite  all  nations;"  tenth  (by  Brother  Washing- 
ton), "The  Lodge  at  Alexandria,  and  all  Masons  throughout  the  world," 
after  which  he  retired;  eleventh,  "Our  most  respected  Brother 
George  Washington,"  which  was  drtmk  with  all  Masonic  honors. 

Washington  was  not  permitted  a  long  respite  from  the  cares  and 
concerns  of  pubUc  life.  The  government  of  France  had  assumed  an 
ugly  attitude  toward  this  country  before  his  retirement  from  oflSce, 
and  the  menacing  war  clouds  that  hung  low  over  the  east  began  to 
deepen,  so  that  before  many  months  had  rolled  around  the  American 
Government  was  facing  a  critical  situation.  As  a  child  turns  to 
its  parent  for  comfort  and  protection  in  the  moment  of  affliction, 
so  turned  the  President  of  the  United  States  and  all  the  people  with 
one  accord  to  the  venerated  sage  at  Mount  Vernon,  as  their  source 
of  paternal  refuge.  Throwing  aside  personal  consideration,  he  obeyed 
his  country's  will  in  this  as  on  every  other  former  occasion. 


296  WASHINGTON  THE   MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

For  over  half  a  century  he  had  stood  at  attention,  so  to  speak, 
ever  ready  to  obey  the  command  of  the  people  he  loved  so  well,  but 
his  watch  was  nearly  finished ;  the  thread  of  that  well-spent  Ufe  was 
nearly  broken,  and  before  the  difficulty  with  France  had  been  settled, 
as  it  eventually  was,  without  the  stem  resort  to  arms,  Washington, 
the  friend  of  man,  was  no  more. 


ALEXANDRIA-WASHINGTON  LODGE  NO.  22. 

'HB  winter  of  1799  came  with  its  chilling  blasts,  and 
with  it  also  came  to  Mount  Vernon  the  unwelcome 
messenger  of  death.  General  Washington  was  its 
victim.  His  Ulness  was  sudden  and  of  short  dura- 
tion. Seized  with  a  cold  on  the  twelfth  of  Decem- 
ber, he  treated  it  hghtly  at  first,  refusing  medical 
attention  until  it  was  too  late.  Indeed,  he  was  virtually  in  the 
throes  of  dissolution  when  his  well-tried  friend  and  family  phy- 
sician. Dr.  James  Craik,  reached  his  bedside  on  the  morning  of  the 
fourteenth. 

ReaUzing  the  serious  condition  of  his  distinguished  patient,  Dr. 
Craik  immediately  dispatched  a  messenger  for  Dr.  Elisha  Cullen 
Dick  of  Alexandria,  and,  as  Dr.  Gustavus  Brown  of  Port  Tobacco 
had  been  previously  summoned,  the  three  practitioners  were  soon 
in  earnest  consultation;  but  despite  the  heroic  efforts  and  combined 
skill  of  these  eminent  physicians,  the  rapid  progress  of  the  fatal 
malady  could  not  be  checked,  and  General  Washington  breathed 
his  last  at  10.20  P.  M.,  December  14,  1799,  in  the  sixty -eighth  year 
of  his  age. 

We  have  dealt  fuUy  with  the  subject  of  General  Washington's 
death  and  funeral  in  a  preceding  chapter  and  refer  to  it  again  only 
to  call  attention  to  the  Masonic  features. 

There  is  probably  no  occasion  of  a  similar  nattire  in  the  his- 
tory of  our  Fraternity  so  essentially  Masonic  in  all  its  detail  as  the 
obsequies  of  this  great  man,  part  of  which,  no  doubt,  was  acci- 
dental or  mere  coincidence,  while  the  rest  was  in  accordance  with  a 
prearranged  plan. 

The  three  physicians  in  attendance  when  Washington  died  were 
all  Masons,  and  two  of  them.  Doctors  Dick  and  Craik,  members  of 
his  own  Lodge,  Dr.  Dick  being  its  Master;  while  the  third.  Dr. 
Gustavus  Brown,  was  the  fifth  Grand  Master  of  Maryland. 

The  arrangements  for  the  funeral  were  left  to  Dr.  Dick  (Master), 
Colonel  George  Deneale  (Junior  Warden),  and  Colonels  Charles  Little 
and  Charles  Simms,  members  of  No.  22.     There  were  four  clergymen 

297 


298  WASHINGTON    THE    MAN    AND   THE   MASON. 

in  attendance  at  the  funeral,  Reverends  Dr.  James  Muir,  Thomas 
Davis,  and  William  Maffit  of  Alexandria,  and  Reverend  Walter  Dulaney 
Addison  of  Oxen  Hill,  Maryland,  the  first  three  being  members  of 
Washington's  own  Lodge. 

Colonel  George  Deneale  was  in  command  of  the  militia ;  Captain 
Henry  Pi^i-cy  (Senior  Warden),  of  No.  22,  commanded  his  company, 
the  Independent  Blues;  Captain  Robert  Young,  a  member  of  the 
Lodge,  the  cavalry;  Captain  WiUiam  Harper,  the  artillery;  and 
Lieutenant  John  Ainsworth  Stewart,  Adjutant  of  the  io6th  Virginia 
Militia,  was  aide  to  Colonel  Deneale.  Of  these  officers.  Colonel 
Deneale  was  the  intimate  friend  of  General  Washington,  as  was 
Captain  Piercy,who  had  been  an  aide-de-camp  to  the  commander-in- 
chief  in  the  revolution  and  was  present  with  him  in  every  battle 
in  which  he  engaged.  He  was  seriously  wounded  at  Yorktown,  the 
day  before  the  final  assault  and  capitulation  of  Cornwallis.  The  last 
military  order  given  by  General  Washington  was  to  Captain  Piercy, 
and  the  last  compliment  paid  by  him  to  any  military  organization 
was  paid  to  the  Independent  Blues  (Captain  Piercy's  company)  at  a 
review  in  Alexandria  about  a  month  before  his  death. 

The  pall-bearers  were  officers  of  the  revolution  and  all  of  them 
Masons  and  members  of  Lodge  No.  22  except  Colonel  Philip  Mar- 
steller,  whose  son,  Philip  G.,  attended  the  funeral  as  a  member  of  the 
Lodge. 

The  body  was  borne  from  the  mansion  to  the  family  vault  by 
a  detail  of  four  lieutenants  of  the  io6th  Regiment,  Virginia  Militia, 
viz.,  Lawrence  Hooff,*  James  Turner, George  Wise,  and  William  Moss. 

To  make  arrangements  for  his  interment,  a  funeral  Lodge  was  held  Monday 
the  1 6th,  at  which  there  were  present:  Dr.  EHsha  Cullen  Dick,  Worshipful  Master; 
Colonel  George  Deneale,  Senior  Warden,  pro  tern.;  Colonel  Dennis  Ramsay,  Junior 
Warden,  pro  tern.;  David  Wilson  Scott,  Secretary;  Robert  B.  Jamesson,  Treasurer; 
WiUiam  Bartleman,  Senior  Deacon;  Josiah  Faxon,  Junior  Deacon;  John  C. 
Kempff,  Tiler. 

William  Ramsay,  John  McKnight,  George  Graham,  William  Johnston,  Guy 
Atkinson,  Peter  Cottom,  Forest  Richardson,  Joseph  Neale,  Philip  G.  Marsteller, 
Dr.  James  Gillis,  Robert  Young,  John  T.  Brooks,  Michael  Flannery,  Dennis 
McCarthy  Johnston,  Joshua  Riddle,  Rev.  James  Muir,  Thomas  Peterkin,  Charles 
Turner,  James  MacKenzie,  Rev.  WiUiam  Maffit,  Col.  George  GUpin,  Jonathan 
Swift,  WiUiam  Byrd  Page,  George  CoryeU,  Joseph  Thomas,  Alexander  MacKenzie, 
George  Chapman,  Jr.,  Bernard  Ghequiere,  John  Mclver,  Ferdinando  Fairfax. 


•Afterwards  secretary  of  the  Lodge. 


ALEXANDRIA-WASHINGTON   LODGE   NO.  22.  299 

Visitors — Charles  M.  Lefebre  of  Fredericksburg  Lodge,  No.  4 ;  James  Bacon 
of  Philadelphia  Lodge,  No.  7. 

At  that  time,  as  now,  there  were  two  Masonic  Lodges  in  Alexan- 
dria, the  other  being  known  as  Brook  Lodge,  No.  47.  It  was  an 
oflfshoot  of  No.  22  chartered  in  1796,  and  an  invitation  was  extended 
to  this  Lodge  by  No.  22  to  participate  in  the  ceremonies. 

As  a  result  of  this  invitation,  a  joint  committee,  consisting  of 
Thomas  Peterkin  and  Joseph  Neale  on  the  part  of  No.  22,  and 
Charles  Jones  and  John  Bogue,  representing  Brook  Lodge,  No.  47, 
reported  the  arrangements  for  the  funeral,  and  Peter  Cottom,  of  No. 
22,  was  appointed  "to  wait  on  the  Federal  City  Lodge,  of  the  city  of 
Washington,  and  invite  them  to  unite  in  the  funeral  procession  on 
Wednesday  at  Mount  Vernon,  at  twelve  o'clock,  if  fair,  or  on  Thurs- 
day at  the  same  hour." 

At  an  early  hour  on  Wednesday,  the  i8th,  the  Masonic  Frater- 
nity, under  escort  of  the  military  and  citizens  of  Alexandria,  started 
for  Mount  Vernon,  where  they  arrived  about  one  o'clock. 

At  midnight,  the  "low  twelve"  of  Masonry,  the  body,  clothed 
in  burial  robes,  was  taken  from  the  chamber  of  death  to  a  large 
drawing  room  on  the  first  floor,  and  the  funeral  was  appointed  for 
Wednesday,  the  i8th,  at  meridian.  On  the  morning  of  that  date  the 
remains  were  removed  to  the  front  portico  in  order  that  those  present 
might  obtain  a  last  view  of  the  departed  hero. 

The  late  arrival  of  the  Alexandria  contingent  forced  a  post- 
ponement of  the  interment,  and  it  was  not  until  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  when  the  procession  finally  moved  in  the  following  order : 

ORDER 

The  Troops,  Horse  and  Foot. 

The  Clergy. 

The  General's  horse,  with  saddle,  holsters,  and  pistols. 

(Led  by  two  grooms,  Cyrus  and  Wilson,  in  black.) 

Music. 

Guard. 

Pall-bearers. 

Colonel  Charles  Simms,  Colonel  George  Gilpin, 

Colonel  Dennis  Ramsay,  Colonel  Philip  Marsteller, 

Colonel  William  Payne,  Colonel  Charles  Little. 


300  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

Principal  Mourners. 
Mrs.  Stuart  and  Mrs.  Law, 
Misses  Nancy  and  Sally  Stuart, 
Miss  Fairfax  and  Miss  Dennison, 
Mr.  Law  and  Mr.  Peter, 
Mr.  Lear*  and  Dr.  Craik, 
Lord  Fairfax  and  Ferdinando  Fairfax. f 

The  Corporation  of  Alexandria. 

Alexandria  Lodge,  No.  22. 

Dr.  Elisha  Cullen  Dick,  Worshipful  Master, 

Henry  Piercy,  Senior  Warden, 

George  Deneale,  Junior  Warden, 

David  Wilson  Scott,  Secretary, 

Robert  B.  Jamesson,  Treasurer, 

William  Bartleman,  Senior  Deacon, 

Josiah  Faxson,  Junior  Deacon, 

John  C.  KempfiF,  Tiler, 
Dr.  James  Gillis,  George  Graham, 

William  Ramsay,  William  Johnston, 

John  McKnight,  Guy  Atkinson, 

Peter  Cottom,  John  T.  Brooks, 

Forrest  Richardson,  Michael  Flannery, 

Joseph  Neale,  Dennis  McCarty  Johnston. 

Thomas  Peterkin,  Joshua  Riddle, 

Charles  Turner,  George  Coryell, 

James  MacKenzie,  Alexander  MacKenzie, 

Joseph  Thomas,  George  Chapman,  Jr., 

Jonathan  Swift,  Bernard  Ghequiere, 

Ferdinando  Fairfax,  John  Mclver, 

Wm.  Byrd  Page,  William  Herbert, 

Philip  G.  Marsteller,  James  Wilson, 

Robert  Young,  Richard  Conway, 

WiUiam  Hodgson,  Walter  Jones,  Jr., 

Joseph  Gilpin,  Thomas  Triplett, 

Dr.  Augustine  J.  Smith,  Robert  Alexander, 

John  Borrowdale,  Robert  Allison, 

Thomas  Rogerson,  Mark  Butts, 


*Mr.  Lear  was  not  a  Mason  at  the  time  of  General  Washington's  death  but  on  February  1 7, 
1803,  he  petitioned  Alexandria  Lodge,  No.  22,  with  Colonel  George  Deneale  and  Joshua  Riddle 
as  vouchers.  His  petition  was  not  acted  on  until  June  30,  when  an  emergency  Lodge  was  called, 
at  which  the  Master  stated  that  Mr.  Lear  was  about  to  leave  the  country  on  urgent  business  for 
the  government  and  desired,  if  the  Lodge  was  pleased  to  elect  him,  to  obtain  all  his  degrees  at 
once.  Being  duly  elected,  the  Master  asked  unanimous  consent  to  suspend  the  by-laws,  in  order 
to  confer  the  degrees  as  requested.  This  was  done  and  the  petitioner  was  entered,  passed  and 
raised  the  same  night. 

tRev.  Bryan,  Eighth  Lord,  Fairfax  and  his  son. 


ALEXANDRIA- WASHINGTON   LODGE    NO.  22.  301 

Robert  Patton,  Philip  Magruder, 

Baldwin  Dade,  William  Jackson, 

Charles  Alexander,  Stephen  Stephens, 

John  C.  Hunter,  David  Martin. 

Brook  Lodge,  No.  47. 

Philip  Dawe,  Charles  Jones,  Patrick  Byrne, 

John  Kincaid,  Robert  Brocket,  Sr.,  John  Bogue, 

John  Muir,  John  Lemoine,  John  Williams, 

Alexander  Latimer,  James  Davidson,  George  Lane, 

James  D.  Wescott,  James  Wigginton,  James  Hays. 

Federal  Lodge,  No.  15  (Washington,  D.  C). 

The  procession  moved  north  from  the  portico  to  the  north 
haha  wall,*  then,  turning  to  the  right,  they  proceeded  east  to  the 
road,  which  leads  in  a  southerly  direction,  along  the  side  of  the  hill 
in  front  of  the  mansion,  down  to  the  tomb,  where  the  mihtary  escort 
halted  and  formed  lines  on  either  side  of  the  narrow  avenue. 
Passing  between  the  divided  columns,  the  bier.f  bearing  the  encoffined 
Washington,  was  placed  at  the  door  of  the  sepulchre.  Dr.  Dick 
and  Reverend  Thomas  Davis,  Rector  of  Christ  Church,  took  their 
stations  at  its  head,  the  mourning  relatives  at  its  foot,  and  the 
Fraternity  in  a  circle  around  the  tomb,  while  the  miUtia  took  their 
stations  along  the  hill,  back  of  the  vault. 

The  Reverend  Dr.  Davis  broke  the  silence  by  repeating  from  sacred  writings : 
"I  am  the  resmrection  and  the  life;  he  that  believeth  in  Me,  though  he  were  dead, 
yet  shall  he  live."  Then,  with  bowed  and  reverent  heads  all  listened  to  the  voice 
of  prayer ;  and  as  the  holy  words  went  on,  as  used  in  the  beautiful  and  expressive 
burial  service  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  their  soothing  spirit  was  echoed  in  the 
responses  of  the  multitude  around.  Mr.  Davis  closed  his  burial  service  with  a 
short  address.  There  was  a  pause,  and  then  the  Master  of  the  Lodge  performed 
the  mystic  funeral  rites  of  Masonry,  as  the  last  service  at  the  burial  of  Washington. 

The  apron  and  swordsj  were  removed  from  the  coffin,  for  their  place  was 
no  longer  there.  It  was  ready  for  entombment.  The  brethren  one  by  one  cast 
upon  it  an  evergreen  sprig,  and  their  hearts  spoke  the  Mason's  farewell  as  they 
bestowed  their  last  mystic  gift.  There  was  a  breathless  silence  there  during  this 
scene.     So  still  was  all  around  in  the  gathered  midtitude  of  citizens,  that  they 

*These  were  two  concealed  walls  extending  east  and  west  along  the  north  and  south  bounda- 
ries of  the  lawn  and  were  built  to  keep  stock  from  around  the  mansion.  They  have  been  recently 
restored. 

fThe  bier  on  which  the  body  was  borne  to  the  tomb  became  the  property  of  Alexandria 
Lodge,  No.  22, and  was  destroyed  at  the  burning  of  the  Temple  in  1871.  The  reader  will  find  an 
excellent  likeness  of  this  interesting  relic  in  Losing's  "  Home  of  Washington." 

JThese  swords  are  still  preserved  and  can  be  seen  in  Alexandria- Washington  Lodge-room 
in  Alexandria,  Virginia. 


302  WASHINGTON   THB  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

might  almost  have  heard  the  echoes  of  the  acacia  as  it  fell  with  trembling  hghtness 
upon  the  coffin-lid. 

The  pall-bearers  placed  their  precious  burden  in  the  tomb's  cold  embrace, 
earth  was  cast  on  the  threshold,  and  the  words  were  spoken :  ' '  Earth  to  earth — 
ashes  to  ashes — dust  to  dust!"  and  the  entombment  of  Washington  was  finished. 
The  mystic  pubUc  burial  honors  of  Masonry  were  given  by  each  brother  in  due 
form.  The  mystic  chain  was  reunited  in  a  circle  around  the  tomb;  the  cannon 
on  the  vessel,  anchored  abreast  the  mansion,  boomed  its  minute  guns,  and  the 
soldiery  on  the  banks  above  them  echoed  back  their  solemn  burial  salute  and 
Moimt  Vernon's  tomb  was  left  in  possession  of  its  noblest  sleeper. 

The  sun  was  then  setting,  and  the  pall  of  night  mantled  the  pathway  of  the 
Masonic  brethren  as  they  sadly  returned  to  their  homes.* 

Lodge  No.  22,  at  Alexandria,  had  then  left  on  its  roll  sixty 
Master  Masons  and  nine  Entered  Apprentices.  It  had  been  presided 
over,  while  under  Pennsylvania  vparrant,  by  three  Masters,  viz., 
Robert  Adam,  Robert  McCrea,  and  Dr.  Dick;  and  under  the  Virginia 
warrant  it  had  had  the  same  number,  George  Washington,  James 
GiUis,  and  Dr.  Dick. 

It  met  on  the  day  after  the  funeral  in  regular  communication 
and  elected  Colonel  George  Deneale  as  its  Master.  Colonel  Deneale 
served  continuously  for  thirteen  years,  and  it  was  during  his  adminis- 
tration that  the  Lodge's  name  was  changed  from  Alexandria  Lodge, 
No.  22,  to  Alexandria- Washington  Lodge,  No.  22. 

After  the  death  of  General  Washington,  it  was  the  desire  of  the 
Lodge  that  its  name  should  be  altered  so  as  to  embrace  that  of 
Washington,  and  with  this  view,  on  the  nth  day  of  October,  1804, 
the  following  resolution  was  adopted : 

That  the  Worshipful  Master  of  this  Lodge  apply  to  the  Grand  Master  of 
the  Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia,  for  permission  to  alter  the  designation  of  this  Lodge 
from  that  of  the  Alexandria  Lodge,  No.  22,  to  that  of  the  Alexandria- Washington 
Lodge,  No.  22.  And  at  the  ensuing  Communication  of  the  Grand  Lodge  this 
request  was  acceded  to,  and  a  new  charter  ordered  to  be  issued.  The  Lodge, 
however,  did  not  desire  to  surrender  its  charter,  but  simply  to  alter  its  designation 
and  at  the  next  Grand  Annual  Communication  of  the  Grand  Lodge  held  at  Rich- 
mond, on  the  9th  day  of  December,  1805,  the  following  preamble  and  resolution 
was  adopted : 

"WherE.'^.S,  at  the  last  Grand  Annual  Communication  a  request  was  made 
by  the  Alexandria  Lodge,  No.  22,  for  permission  to  change  the  name  of  the  said 
Lodge  to  that  of  the  Alexandria-Washington  Lodge,  No.  22,  which  request  was 
acceded  to,  and  a  new  charter  ordered  to  be  issued;  and  whereas,  tliis  order  did 
not  meet  the  wishes  of  the  brethren  of  the  said  Lodge,  who  having  had  our  illustrious 
brother  General  George  Washington  for  their  first  Master,  whose  name  is  inscribed 


♦Hayden's  "Washington  and  his  Masonic  Compeers." 


OLD  ALEXAXDRIA-WASHLXGTOK  LOLGE  ROOM. 


ALEXANDRIA- WASHINGTON    LODGE   NO.  22. 


303 


as  such  in  their  original  charter,  they  then  were  and  still  are  desirous  of  preserving 
their  said  charter,  as  an  honorable  testimony  of  his  regard  for  them,  and  only  wish 
to  be  permitted  by  the  Grand  Lodge  to  assume  the  name  of  the  Alexandria- Washing- 
ton Lodge,  No.  22,  without  changing  their  said  charter;  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  thesaid  Lodge  be  permitted  to  assume  the  said  name,and  that 
it  be  henceforth  denominated  the  Alexandria- Washington  Lodge,  No.  22,  and  that 
an  authenticated  copy  of  this  resolution  be  attached  to  their  said  charter. 

"Duly  copied  by  me  from  the  records  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia,  as 
witness  of  my  hand  and  the  seal  of  the  said  Grand  Lodge,  this  1 7th  day  of  December, 
A.  L.  5805,  A.  D.  1805. 

"Wm.  H.  Fitzwhylsonn, 

Grand  Secretary.     [Seal.]" 

The  original  of  this  resolution,  with  that  of  the  Virginia  charter 
containing  the  name  of  Washington  as  Master  and  signed  by  Edmund 
Randolph,  Grand  Master,  constitutes  Alexandria-Washington  Lodge's 
badge  of  authority,  and  both  instruments  are  to  be  seen  hanging  on 
the  walls  of  its  lodge-room. 

We  can  give  but  a  faint  outline  of  the  history  of  the  old  institu- 
tion in  this  work.  During  its  long  journey  from  the  founding  of 
our  government  to  the  present  era  there  have  been  few  years  in  which 
it  has  not  participated  in  some  interesting  Masonic  ceremony  or 
function,  but  we  must  of  necessity  pass  over  whole  decades  without 
even  allusion  to  numerous  important  occurrences. 

For  nearly  twenty  years  the  Lodge  had  no  permanent  home 
and  held  its  meetings  in  public  buildings,  as  a  rule  entirely  unsuited 
for  such  assemblies.  The  erection  of  a  building  to  be  used  exclusively 
for  Masonic  purposes  first  engaged  the  attention  of  the  Lodge  in 
1785,  and  in  the  following  year  application  was  made  to  the  Ci-ty 
Council  for  permission  to  erect  a  hall  over  the  market  building.  A 
similar  petition  was  submitted  to  the  same  body  in  1800,  and,  having 
met  with  their  approval  and  a  sufficient  sum  having  been  raised  for 
the  purpose,  the  first  Temple  was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  present 
more  commodious  structure  and  first  occupied  by  the  Lodge  on  the 
1 6th  of  September,  1802. 

It  was  in  this  building  that  the  Lodge  received  the  distinguished 
Grand  Master,  friend  and  compatriot  of  Washington,  the  Honorable 
James  Milnor  of  Pennsylvania,  in  1811,  General  Lafayette  in  1825, 
and  other  distinguished  visitors  in  ante-bellum  days. 

The  first  Temple  was  occupied  by  the  Fraternity  from  the  i6th 
of  September,  1802,  until  the  19th  of  May,  187 1,  nearly  seventy  years, 
when,  together  with  the  entire  city  hall,  it  was  destroyed  by  fire. 


304  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

Most  of  the  old  furniture,  all  the  records,  the  original  portrait 
of  Washington  by  Williams,  the  Master's  chair,  occupied  by  Wash- 
ington in  1788  as  presiding  officer,  and  a  number  of  relics  and  paintings 
were  saved  from  the  ruin,  but  many  invaluable  souvenirs  were  lost  or 
destroyed. 

Our  illustration,  entitled  "Old  Lodge,"  is  a  picture  of  the  interior 
of  the  first  Temple  and  shows  accurately  the  arrangement  of  the 
original  furniture  in  that  venerable  institution. 

The  visit  of  Lafayette  to  America  in  1824  and  1825  was  an 
occasion  of  great  rejoicing  throughout  the  country.  His  intrepid 
espousal  of  the  cause  of  the  colonies  when  a  mere  youth;  his  chival- 
rous resistance  to  the  oppression  of  his  own  people ;  his  long  suffering 
in  the  prison  at  Ohnutz;  the  persecution  of  his  heroic  wife;  the 
confiscation  of  her  fortune  and  the  ruthless  murder  of  her  relatives 
by  the  political  fanatics  of  France,  coupled  with  the  well-known, 
unswerving  loyalty  and  friendship  of  the  marquis  for  the  American 
government  and  an  unfeigned  veneration  for  the  name  of  Washington, 
had  greatly  endeared  him  to  all  classes,  while  his  partiality  for  the 
Masonic  Fraternity,  under  trying  conditions,  made  him  a  special 
object  of  attention  among  the  members  of  the  Craft. 

Accompanied  by  his  son,  George  Washington  Lafayette,  Colonel 
Auguste  LaVassaur,  his  secretary,  and  one  servant,  he  arrived  in 
New  York  harbor  on  Sunday,  August  15,  1824,  and  on  the  following 
day  was  received  in  the  city  as  the  nation's  guest,  with  great  rejoicing 
and  every  demonstration  of  respect. 

Lafayette  reached  Baltimore,  from  Philadelphia,  on  Friday  the 
8th  of  October,  1824,  and  during  the  day  Thomas  Swan  and  John  C. 
Vowell,  Esquires,  presented  him  an  address  on  behalf  of  the  people 
of  Alexandria,  requesting  him  to  visit  that  city,  which  invitation 
he  promptly  accepted. 

He  was  received  in  Washington  on  the  12  th  of  October  and  on 
the  1 6th  crossed  the  Potomac  into  Virginia  amidst  the  deafening 
salvos  of  the  Alexandria  artillery,  which  had  gone  up  to  the  bridge 
to  receive  him.  From  the  bridge  at  Georgetown,  he  was  escorted 
to  Alexandria  by  fifteen  hundred  troops,  besides  numerous  civic 
associations  and  two  bands  of  music.  On  his  arrival  at  the  reception 
room  on  Royal  Street,  an  impressive  ceremony  occmred. 

One  hundred  little  girls*  and  one  hundred  boys,  from  seven  to 

*The  mother  of  Most  Worshipful  Thomas  J.  Shryock,  Grand  Master  of  Masons  in 
Maryland  and  President  of  the  Memorial  Association,  was  one  of  these  little  girls. 


ALEXANDRIA-WASHINGTON   LODGE   NO.  22.  305 

twelve  years  of  age,  were  arranged  in  lines  extending  to  the  doors  of 
the  Reception  Hall.  They  were  neatly  dressed,  the  girls  in  white 
with  blue  sashes  and  badges  and  leghorn  bonnets,  the  boys  in  blue 
with  pink  sashes  and  badges.  As  the  general  approached,  the  girls, 
led  by  Miss  Rosalie  Taylor,  strewed  his  pathway  with  flowers  while 
they  sang: 

"Fayette,  friend  of  Washington! 

Freedom's  children  greet  thee  here; 
Fame  for  thee  our  hearts  has  won. 
Flows,  for  thee  the  grateful  tear. 

"Lov'd  and  honor'd  nation's  guest, 
Long  may'st  thou  with  us  remain; 
Leave  us,  when  thou  sink'st  to  rest, 
Life  eternal  to  obtain. 

Chorus. 

"Happiness,  to-day,  is  ours; 
Strew,  ye  fair,  his  way  with  flowers!" 

A  full  account  of  this  reception  is  given  in  the  History  of 
Alexandria-Washington  Lodge  and  shows  the  unbounded  enthusiasm 
which  the  presence  of  this  noble  Frenchman  created  in  Virginia, 
nearly  fifty  years  after  the  great  struggle  for  independence  had  ceased. 

There  were  several  Lodges  of  Masons  in  Alexandria  at  that  time, 
and  a  deputation  from  these  Masonic  societies  with  Dr.  Thomas 
Simms,  Worshipful  Master  of  Alexandria-Washington  Lodge,  as 
spokesman,  waited  on  Lafayette  at  his  lodging  and  presented  the 
following  address : 

General  Lafayette  :  Sir  and  Brother,  when  the  Masonic  Institutions  of 
the  town  of  Alexandria  approach  to  congratulate  you  on  your  safe  arrival  in  the 
country  to  whose  Uberty  you  so  essentially  contributed,  and  to  offer  you  a  sincere 
and  cordial  welcome  to  their  town,  they  are  well  assured  of  the  spirit  in  which  you 
will  receive  their  fraternal  congratulations.  In  this  town,  where  the  Masonic 
acquirements  and  virtues  of  the  great  and  good  Father  of  his  Country  were  best 
known  and  most  admired,  and  where  it  was  often  his  dehght  to  preside  over  the  labors 
of  his  brethren,  it  is  deemed  meet  that  his  intimate  friend  and  Masonic  companion 
in  arms  should  receive  their  wannest  welcome.  For  your  distinguished  services 
in  our  time  of  greatest  need,  when  our  fathers  were  struggling  for  that  liberty  which, 
under  Heaven,  and  through  your  instrumentality,  we  now  enjoy,  we  owe  a  debt 
of  gratitude,  which  can  never  be  cancelled,  and  which  words  cannot  express. 
Permit  me,  then,  illustrious  Sir  and  Brother,  to  welcome  you  into  the  bosom  of 
our  Fraternity,  and  to  request  the  honor  of  yoiu-  company  at  a  Masonic  entertain- 
ment at  such  time  as  may  best  comport  with  yoiu'  previous  arrangements  and 
personal  convenience. 


3o6  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

To  which  he  made  an  affectionate  and  appropriate  reply,  promising 
to  gratify  their  wishes  on  his  return  to  the  seat  of  government.  He 
subsequently  indicated  the  21st  of  February,  1825,  as  the  time  when 
he  would  be  pleased  to  accept  the  hospitality  of  his  Masonic  Brethren 
of  Alexandria: 

Arriving  at  the  City  Hotel  (see  illustration)  at  three  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
he  was  immediately  conducted  across  the  street  to  the  ante-chamber  of  the  lodge- 
room  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  friend  of  Washington,  clothed  in  the  Masonic 
habiUments,  so  often  worn  by  the  "father  of  his  country,"  entered  the  room, 
conducted  by  Brother  John  Roberts,  Mayor  of  the  town,  and  by  him  was  intro- 
duced to  the  Worshipful  Master  and  received  with  all  the  honors  due  his  distin- 
guished merit.  The  ceremonies  of  the  reception  over,  Worshipful  Master  Simms 
addressed  the  marquis  as  follows: 

"Illustrious  Brother  Lafayette:  Among  the  various  demonstrations  of 
joy  which  your  arrival  in  the  United  States  has  elicited  from  the  hearts  of  its 
grateful  citizens,  none  have  been  more  truly  respectful  or  more  sincerely  tendered, 
than  the  cordial  welcome  of  your  Masonic  Brethren. 

"The  services  which  you  have  rendered  to  our  beloved  cotmtry,  in  the  war 
which  attained  its  independence,  when  you  abandoned  family,  friends,  fortune 
and  home,  to  aid  the  cause  of  liberty,  to  fight  its  battles,  and  to  burst  asunder  the 
chains  of  bondage,  are  in  our  minds  freshly  remembered. 

"Through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  your  distinguished  life,  you  have  been  present 
to  our  minds,  and  dear  to  our  affections. 

"Whether  as  the  conquering  hero  on  the  victorious  plains  of  York,  or  as  a 
prisoner  at  Olmutz  to  the  enemies  of  freedom,  whether  asserting  and  defending 
the  rights  of  liberty  in  the  stormy  councils  of  your  country,  or  peacefully  situated 
in  the  bosom  of  your  family  at  the  happy  mansion  of  LaGrange,  you  have  ever 
been  revered  as  'one  of  the  Pillars  of  our  Temple.' 

"It  affords  me  inexpressible  pleasure  to  be  the  organ  of  my  Brethren,  here 
assembled,  to  welcome  you  into  the  bosom  of  this  Lodge  in  which  your  highly 
valued  friend,  the  beloved  Father  of  our  Country,  was  wont  to  preside  over  our 
labors  and  inculcate  the  principles  of  our  Order — '  Friendship,  Morality,  Brotherly 
Love  and  Charity.'  While  it  is  our  pride  and  boast  that  we  had  him  to  rule  over 
us,  we  esteem  ourselves  peculiarly  happy  in  having  you  for  our  patron.  When 
Masonry  has  such  supporters,  its  principles  will  be  maintained,  its  cause  must 
flourish. 

"Accept,  illustrious  Sir  and  Brother,  our  most  cordial  welcome,  though  we 
are  unable  to  pay  the  debt  of  gratitude  which  is  due  to  you.  You  have  our  prayers 
that  happiness  may  attend  you,  until  the  Grand  Master  of  the  Universe  shall 
summon  you  to  eternal  happiness  in  the  Grand  Lodge  above." 

To  which  the  venerable  guest  repUed: 

"Worshipful  Sir,  and  Brethren  of  Washington  Lodge:  I  receive  with 
peculiar  sensation,  this  mark  of  kindness  and  attention,  and  these  expressions  of 


ALEXANDRIA-WASHINGTON  LODGE  NO.  22.  307 

esteem  from  my  Masonic  Brethren,  and  it  is  particularly  gratifying  to  my  feelings 
to  visit  a  IvOdge  over  which  our  lamented  illustrious  Brother  Washington  presided. 
I  shall  ever  cherish  a  high  regard  for  Masonry,  and  pray  you.  Worshipful  Sir,  and 
the  rest  of  the  Brethren,  to  accept  my  particular  and  grateful  acknowledgments." 

The  communication  lasted  until  six  o'clock,  when  the  Fraternity 
with  their  distinguished  guest,  repaired  to  Clagett's  Hotel  where  a 
sumptuous  banquet  had  been  prepared,  during  which,  among  others, 
the  following  toasts  were  offered  and  responded  to: 

1.  Georgs  Washington:  First  in  cabinet,  first  in  the  field  and  first  in  the 
principles  of  Masonry. 

2.  James  Monroe:  The  East  proclaims  his  worth — the  West  reechoes  the 
same. 

3.  Our  Illustrious  Brother  and  Guest,  Lafayette:  His  brethren  take 
peculiar  pleasure  in  receiving  him  in  that  Lodge  over  which  their  beloved  Washing- 
ton was  pleased  to  preside. 

This  toast  was  received  by  the  company  standing,  and  answered  by  nine 
cheers.  As  soon  as  the  seats  had  been  resumed.  General  Lafayette  rose,  and 
thanked  his  Brethren,  in  affectionate  terms,  for  their  friendly  welcome.  He  made 
them  udges  of  his  feelings,  when  he  found  himself  in  the  Lodge  where  our  beloved 
Washington  for  the  last  time  fulfilled  his  Masonic  duties,  and  now,  in  the  room 
where  for  the  last  time  he  assisted  at  the  celebration  of  his  own  birthday,  he  pro- 
posed the  following  toast : 

"The  Masonic  Temple  of  Alexandria,  and  the  illustrious,  venerated  name 
under  which  it  has  been  consecrated." 

At  a  little  after  eight  o'clock,  having  spent  over  five  hours  with 
his  Masonic  brethren,  the  guest  expressed  his  great  regret  at  being 
compelled  to  retire.  The  short  time  which  remained  in  which  to 
make  arrangements  for  his  southern  tour  he  hoped  would  plead  his 
excuse  for  leaving  a  place  which  had  so  many  attractions  for  him, 
but  he  stiU  hoped  to  visit  it  again  and  in  the  meantime  should  bear 
in  hvely  remembrance  the  affectionate  and  hospitable  manner  in 
which  he  had  been  treated. 

Lafayette  during  his  stay  in  America  lost  no  opportunity  to 
mingle  with  the  Masonic  Fraternity.  On  Sunday  morning,  November 
28,  1824,  while  on  his  way  south,  with  his  son  and  secretary  Count 
LaVasseur,  he  visited  Fredericksburg  Lodge,  No.  4,  and  was  elected 
an  honorary  member.  When  in  Richmond,  as  before  noted,  with 
his  secretary  and  son,  he  visited  No.  19,  and  while  paying  his  respects 
to  the  venerable  Thomas  Jefferson,  at  Monticello,  he  visited  Widow's 
Son  Lodge  in  Charlottesville  and  was  entertained  by  that  body  at 
a  sumptuous  banquet. 


3o8  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

On  the  6th  of  September,  1825,  the  anniversary  of  his  birthday, 
Lafayette  enjoyed  his  last  fete  in  America  at  the  President's  mansion ; 
and  on  the  following  day,  President  John  Quincy  Adams,  in  the 
presence  of  a  large  concourse  of  citizens,  made  the  farewell  address 
in  the  name  of  the  American  people  and  government.  On  the  same 
day  he  embarked  at  Washington,  on  board  the  frigate  Brandywane, 
for  Havre.  He  died  May  20,  1834,  in  the  seventy-seventh  year  of 
his  age. 

Shortly  after  Lafayette's  visit  to  this  country  came  the  great 
anti-Masonic  wave  with  its  baneful  results.  Bom  of  ignorance  and 
superstition,  it  was  fostered  by  the  machinations  and  vmworthy 
ambitions  of  mercenary  demagogues  and  for  a  time  threatened  the 
very  life  of  the  institution.  Owing  to  the  social  and  political  ban 
placed  on  members  of  the  organization,  numbers  of  Lodges*  went 
out  of  existence,  and  from  about  1829  to  1845  there  was  little  of  the 
Masonic  spirit  openly  manifested  throughout  the  country.  The  tide 
finally  turned,  the  vituperation  and  libel  ceased,  and  from  that  period 
on.  Masonry  rose  in  a  perfect  crescendo  until  it  became  the  popular 
slogan  of  the  most  cultured  and  respectable  classes  as  it  had  been 
before  the  craze  began,  and  as  it  is  to-day. 

On  INIay  i,  1847,  the  comer-stone  of  the  Smithsonian  Institute 
was  laid  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  District  of  Columbia,  and  on 
July  4,  1848,  the  comer-stone  of  the  Washington  Monument  was 
also  laid  by  that  Grand  Body  in  the  presence  of  a  great  concourse 
of  the  Fraternity,  among  them  delegations  from  the  Grand  Lodges 
of  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  Virginia, 
Maryland,  South  Carohna,  Georgia  and  Texas.  In  both  of  these 
ceremonies  Washington  Lodge  participated,  as  well  as  that  of  laying 
the  comer-stone  of  the  Equestrian  Statue  in  the  city  of  Richmond, 
by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia  on  the  22nd  of  February,  1850. 

The  dark  days  of  the  Civil  War  proved  the  most  trying  period 
in  the  history  of  Alexandria-Washington  Lodge.  Many  of  its 
members  were  called  to  the  front  in  active  service  and  those  who 
remained  were  embarrassed  by  military  restrictions,  but  in  this,  as 
in  every  other  span  of  its  life,  a  vigilant  and  fearless  guardian  was 
present. 

Brother  W^Uliam  H.  Lambert,  elected  Master  in  i860,  served 
to  June  24,  1866,  and  to  this  worthy  man  and  zealous  Mason,  prob- 

*Among  these  was  Brooke  Lodge  which  I't  will  be  recalled,  participated  in  the  funeral 
ceremonies  of  General  Washington. 


ALEXANDRIA- WASHINGTON   LODGE   NO.  22,  309 

ably  more  than  to  any  other  member,  are  due  the  credit  and  the 
gratitude  of  Washington  Lodge  for  preserving  intact,  through  that 
trying  time,  not  only  the  inestimable  treasures  of  the  Lodge  but  the 
Charter  itself,  that  priceless  parchment  which  contains  the  name  of 
Washington  as  Master. 

The  occupation  of  Alexandria  by  the  Union  soldiers  in  1861  at 
first  appeared  to  be  a  serious  menace  to  the  safety  of  these  valuable 
possessions.  Demands  were  made  on  Brother  Lambert  for  admit- 
tance to  the  Temple  and,  when  this  privilege  was  denied,  violence 
was  threatened  to  both  his  person  and  the  institution.  Brother 
Lambert  appealed  to  the  commandant  or  provost-marshal  who, 
though  not  a  Mason,  was  what  every  Mason  should  be,  a  gentleman, 
and  he  promptly  placed  a  guard  at  the  door  and  saved  the  cherished 
mementoes  now  to  be  seen  in  the  sanctum  of  the  present  Temple. 
Indeed  some  of  the  more  vindictive  spirits  had  already  gained  admit- 
tance to  the  Lodge  and  were  committing  acts  of  vandalism  when  the 
g^ard  arrived.  They  were  quickly  subdued,  however,  and  driven 
from  the  premises,  and  afterwards,  during  the  whole  four  years  of 
fratricidal  struggle,  not  a  picture  was  moved  from  the  walls  or  a 
hand  raised,  except  in  defence,  by  the  Union  troops  who  occupied 
the  city. 

From  May,  1861,  to  May,  1865,  the  Lodge  assembled  but  upon 
two  occasions,  and  then  only  to  perform  the  last  tribute  of  respect 
over  the  remains  of  two  of  its  oldest  members. 

Brother  Lambert,  bearing  the  deserved  affection  of  his  associates, 
retired  from  the  East  in  No.  22,  on  June  24,  1866,  but  his  active 
labors  in  the  Fraternity  had  virtually  just  begun.  From  the  Master's 
chair  to  District  Deputy  was  but  a  step;  then  on  up  he  advanced, 
through  the  several  stations,  to  the  most  exalted  position  in  the  gift 
of  the  Masons  of  Virginia,  and  to-day  his  name  is  written  on  the 
roster  among  the  distinguished  and  beloved  Most  Worshipful  Grand 
Masters  of  the  Old  Dominion,  His  elevation  to  an  official  position 
in  the  Grand  Lodge  seems  to  have  stimulated  his  ardent  Masonic 
spirit,  and  his  labors  in  the  subordinate  body  became  more  efifective, 
if  possible,  as  the  years  went  by. 

Military  strife  at  an  end,  the  members  who  had  not  been  claimed 
by  the  battle's  toll  came  back  to  their  homes  to  take  up  anew  the 
lagging  work  of  the  Order.  New  life  was  infused  into  the  fraternal 
body  and  new  blood  injected  into  the  sickly  channels  of  its  being, 
long  since  enfeebled  through  non-use,  by  those  whom  we  find  after 


3IO  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

the  dawn  of  peace  at  Appomattox,  holding  up  the  standard  of  the 
Craft  and  collaborating  with  Brother  Lambert,  among  whom  was 
Brother  (Colonel)  Kosciosko  Kemper.  He  had  gained  an  enviable 
record  as  a  soldier  and  returned  to  the  place  of  his  nativity  to  gain 
a  more  enviable  one  in  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  civil  life  and  the  fond 
relations  of  his  beloved  Lodge. 

The  Grand  Lodge,  as  well  as  the  local  Fraternity,  appreciated 
Brother  Kemper's  valuable  services  to  the  Craft,  and  as  a  fitting 
finale  to  a  useful  life,  on  February  14,  1906,  elevated  him  to  the 
highest  position  within  its  gift. 

Brother  Lambert,  by  unswen^ing  fidelity  to  his  trust,  saved  the 
charter  and  treasures  of  Washington  Lodge  through  the  somber 
days  of  a  divided  country,  torn  with  internal  strife,  while  Brother 
Kemper,  equally  zealous,  helped  to  tide  over  its  tr>nng  period  of 
reconstruction  and  led  it  up  to  the  very  door  of  healthy  progress. 

It  is  pleasing  to  testify  that  these  venerated  brethren  lived  to 
see  the  institution  they  loved  so  well  in  the  full  swing  of  renewed 
vigor  and  prosperity;  to  see  it  rise  to  the  very  crest  of  the  wave  of 
national  veneration  and  were  laid  to  their  eternal  rest,  covered  with 
well-earned  honors  and,  what  was  infinitely  better  and  more  desirable, 
the  unstinted  affections  and  respect  of  those  who  knew  them  best. 

Immediately  after  the  death  of  Washington,  being  sensible  of 
his  relation  to  the  Fraternity  and  as  testimonials  of  their  friendship 
to  the  institution  he  loved,  numerous  mementoes  of  inestimable  value 
were  presented  to  the  Lodge  by  the  General's  intimate  friends  and 
relatives,  and,  notwithstanding  the  entire  collection  was  gratuitous, 
within  a  few  years  the  sanctum  became  a  perfect  storehouse  for  these 
interesting  souvenirs.  Indeed  so  numerous  were  these  gifts  and  so 
much  space  did  the  collection  occupy,  as  early  as  181 1,  that  the  Lodge 
was  seriously  embarrassed  for  room  in  which  to  confer  its  degrees. 
Consequently,  on  the  29th  day  of  December  of  the  year  mentioned, 
a  movement  was  started  which  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  a 
museum  to  be  attached  to  the  Lodge.  As  a  result  of  the  effort,  the 
City  Council  in  18 18  appropriated  the  entire  third  story  of  one  wing 
of  the  City  Hall,  then  just  erected,  to  the  purpose  of  this  museum. 
Colonel  Mountford,  a  venerable  member,  was  appointed  manager 
and  custodian,  and  served  in  that  capacity  until  the  day  of  his  death, 
March  2,  1S46. 

At  the  destruction  of  the  Temple  and  the  City  Hall  by  fire  in 
1871,  the  museum,  with  a  large  portion  of  its  contents,  was  lost  or 


•^  V*«„/e<3r.^Jgj. 


TROWEL  WITH  WHICH  WASHINGTON  LAID  THE  CORNERSTONE  OF  THE  NATIONAL  CAPITOL. 


GROUP  OF  RELICS  IN  ALEXANDRIA-WASHINGTON  LODGE. 


ALEXANDRIA- WASHINGTON   LODGE   NO.  22.  311 

destroyed,  and  among  the  relics  and  other  articles  of  value,  relating 
to  Washington,  burned  or  stolen  at  that  time,  were: 

The  bier*  upon  which  the  remains  of  Washington  were  borne  to  the  tomb  and 
the  crape  that  floated  from  the  door  of  his  home  to  tell  the  sad  news  of  his  death. 

A  picture  of  Martha,  the  wife  of  Washington,  in  her  youthfid  days. 

A  portrait  of  Washington. 

Washington's  military  saddle.* 

Portions  of  a  "settee"  of  Washington,  which  once  stood  in  the  hall  of  the  old 
Mount  Vernon  mansion. 

Washington's  card  tables. 

Many  original  letters  of  Washington  in  flames. 

A  flag  used  by  an  Alexandria  company  in  the  revolution — a  faded  red,  with 
yellow  center,  inscribed  in  black  "IX  Virginia  Regiment,  Alexandria  Company;" 
staff  wood,  stained  red,  with  wooden  lance. 

The  flag  of  Washington's  life-guard 

The  flag  of  the  Richmond  Rifle  Rangers  in  the  revolution — white  silk,  ele- 
gantly painted,  with  a  device — motto:  "  Nemo  me  impune  lacessit." 

A  bust  of  the  celebrated  John  Paul  Jones,  which  was  presented  to  Washington 
by  Lafayette,  and  adorned  the  dining-room  of  Mount  Vernon. 

The  flag  of  the  Independent  Blues  of  Alexandria,  used  in  thewar  of  1812-1814. 

The  flag  used  by  Paul  Jones  on  the  "  Bon  Homme  Richard." 

A  portrait  of  Lafayette. 

The  model  of  the  first  French  guillotine,  which  recalled  all  the  horrors  of  the 
bloody  bygone  days,  when  even  rulers  trembled  on  their  thrones  for  fear  of  torture. 

One  of  the  candles  used  at  the  mass  before  the  execution  of  Louis  XIV. 

A  cross  made  of  three  thousand  pieces  of  wood,  without  nail,  peg  or  glue. 

A  saddlef  of  crimson  velvet,  heavily  embroidered  with  gold,  sent  as  a  present 
to  Thomas  Jefferson  by  the  Dey  of  Morocco. 

The  clothes  of  "Tecumseh,'  covering  life-size  figure  representing  the  great 
Indian  chief,  killed  by  Colonel  Richard  M  Johnson,  of  Kentucky,  at  the  battle  of 
the  Thames  in  18 14. 

The  model  of  a  corn -planter,  invented  by  George  Washington  Parke  Custis 
in  1790. 

After  the  erection  of  the  present  building  in  1872  on  the  site  of 
the  old  structure,  the  relics  saved  from  the  fire  were  deposited  in 
the  new  Temple,  where  they  can  be  seen  at  this  time.  In  the  illus- 
trations scattered  through  this  work  are  shown  a  few  of  these  treasures 
which  we  will  briefly  describe. 

*It  is  believed  that  the  military  saddle  of  Washington  and  the  bier  upon  which  he  was 
borne  to  the  tomb  were  not  destroyed  by  fire.  They  mysteriously  disappeared,  however,  and  have 
not  been  recovered. 

fThe  President  of  the  United  States  being  inhibited  from  the  acceptance  of  a  present  at 
the  hands  of  a  foreign  prince,  this  saddle  was  deposited  in  the  museum  by  Jonathan  Swift,  Esq., 
the  Consul  of  Morocco,  through  whom  it  was  sent.     It  was  valued  at  SiS.ooo. 


312  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN  AND   THE   MASON. 

In  the  group  entitled  "  Group  of  relics  in  Alexandria- Washing- 
ton Lodge"  can  be  seen  Washington's  Masonic  apron  and  sash,  worn 
by  him  when  Master  and  at  the  laying  of  the  comer-stone  of  the 
National  Capitol.  It  is  of  cream-colored  satin,  heavily  embroidered 
in  gold,  with  the  French  and  American  flags  entwined.  A  bee-hive 
and  fairies  adorn  the  center.  It  was  presented  to  the  Lodge,  with 
the  box  below  and  the  sash  above,  in  1 8i  2  by  Lawrence  Lewis,  nephew 
of  the  General  and  the  husband  of  his  adopted  daughter,  Nellie 
Custis.  The  apron  has  been  seldom  worn  since  the  death  of  the 
General,  among  the  few  instances  being  by  General  Lafayette  in 
the  Lodge,  February  21,  1825;  at  the  laying  of  the  comer-stone 
of  the  Yorktown  monument  by  Grand  Master  Peyton  S.  Coles,  1881 ; 
and  to  confer  the  Master  Mason's  Degree  on  Lawrence  Washington, 
February  22,  19 10,  by  a  delegation  from  Illinois;  by  Grand  Master  G. 
Roscoe  Swift,  with  a  Michigan  Degree  team,  to  confer  the  Master 
Mason's  Degree  on  Wilham  H.  Pettus,  a  theological  student,  Feb- 
ruary 22,  191 1  (President  William  H.  Taft  was  present  on  this 
occasion) ;  and  on  a  later  occasion  by  President  Taft  himself. 

In  thanking  the  Lodge  for  the  use  of  the  apron  at  Yorktown, 
Grand  Master  Coles  wrote  in  part : 

I  am  deeply  gratified  by  this  distingiiished  honor,  and  in  the  name  of  the 
Grand  Lodge,  not  less  than  of  every  individual  Mason  in  the  state,  I  thank  you. 
I  count  it  a  high  and  priceless  privilege  to  be  the  trusted  recipient  of  so  great  an 
honor,  and  that  it  has  fallen  to  my  humble  lot  to  wear  the  Masonic  clothing  conse- 
crated in  our  memories  by  association  with  Washington  and  Lafayette,  fills  me  with 
proud  and  grateful  emotions.   .    .  1. 

I  desire  you  to  communicate  to  your  Lodge  the  assurance  of  my  warm  and 
heartfelt  thanks  for  this  high  honor.  I  wish  you  to  assure  them  that  nothing  will 
contribute  more  to  my  enjoyment  on  that  august  occasion,  than  the  wearing  of  the 
apron  and  sash,  endeared  to  us  as  Masons  and  patriots  by  such  time-honored  and 
hallowed  associations. 

1  am,  yours  tndy  and  fraternally, 

Peyton  S.  Coles, 
Grand  Master  of  Masons  in  Virginia. 

On  either  side  of  the  apron  are  the  General's  wedding  gloves, 
and  beneath,  his  farm-spurs;  to  the  right,  his  pruning  knife  and  a 
black  glove  worn  by  the  General  while  in  mourning  for  his  mother; 
to  the  left,  a  little  pearl-handled  knife,  a  present  from  his  mother 
when  a  boy  (see  story  of  the  knife) ;  his  pocket  compasses,  cupping 
and  bleeding  instnunents;  a  piece  of  sealing  wax  taken  from  his 


ALEXANDRIA- WASHINGTON   LODGE  NO.  22,  313 

desk  after  death  and  last  used  by  the  General  before  his  death ;  boot- 
strap or  garter  worn  by  the  General  at  Braddock's  defeat.  On  the 
extreme  right,  near  the  top,  is  a  copper  plate  owned  and  used  by 
John  Hancock  to  print  his  reception  cards  while  president  of  the 
Continental  Congress,  and  presented  to  General  Washington  by  the 
Hancock  family  after  the  dissolution  of  the  old  Colonial  Confed- 
eracy. These  were  all  given  by  the  General's  nephew,  Captain 
George  Steptoe  Washington,  from  1803  to  181 2.  On  the  left  of  the 
pearl-handled  knife  is  a  button,  cut  from  Washington's  coat  at  his 
first  inauguration  and  presented  by  Doctor  James  Craik,  and  to  the 
left  of  the  button,  a  piece  of  canvas  from  his  army  tent,  used  during 
the  Revolutionary  War,  presented  by  George  Washington  Parke 
Custis,  his  adopted  son.  In  the  lower  right  comer  is  a  picture  of 
Doctor  Dick;  Doctor  Dick's  and  Washington's  medicine  scales  and 
a  medalHon  of  Washington  presented  to  the  General  as  founder  of 
free  schools  in  Alexandria,  Virginia,  by  D.  Eggleston  Lancaster,  Esq., 
founder  of  free  schools  in  England,  and  other  relics  of  importance 
which  space  will  not  permit  us  to  enumerate. 

The  clock,  shown  in  another  group,  was  on  the  mantel  in  the 
General's  bed-chamber  at  the  time  of  his  death.  Doctor  Dick  cut 
the  cord,  which  suspended  the  weight  and  stopped  the  old  time-piece 
at  twenty  minutes  after  ten,  P.  M.  After  the  funeral  Mrs.  Washing- 
ton presented  the  clock  to  Dr.  Dick  for  the  Lodge.  "Its  work  is 
done,  but  the  hands  still  point  to  the  minute  and  hour  that  mark 
the  close  of  the  greatest  life  in  history."  It  is  said  to  be  the  only 
piece  of  furniture  in  the  room  at  the  time  of  the  General's  death 
which  has  not  been  restored  to  its  former  place.  The  Uttle  weight 
with  the  catgut  cord  attached  can  be  seen  to  the  left  of  the  clock. 

The  Lesser  Lights  in  the  group  are  the  original  lights  of  the 
Lodge  and  were  used  on  the  most  important  occasions  in  the  history 
of  the  institution,  among  them,  laying  the  comer-stone  of  the 
District  of  Columbia  in  1791;  the  National  Capitol  in  1793;  the 
funeral  of  Washington  in  1799,  and  at  laying  the  comer-stone  of  the 
Washington  Monument  in  1848. 

The  hour  glass  is  the  original,  except  one  column,  which,  having 
been  broken,  was  replaced  by  a  new  one  and  the  old  column  cut  in 
small  pieces  for  souvenirs.  It  has  served  as  the  emblem  to  teach  the 
sublime  lesson  of  human  life  from  the  beginning  of  the  Lodge  to  the 
present  time. 


314  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

Story  of  the  Knifb. 

When  George  Washington  was  eleven  years  old  his  father  died  (1743). 
Shortly  after,  the  boy  took  up  his  residence  at  Mount  Vernon  with  his  half-brother, 
Lawrence,  and,  while  waiting  for  repairs  to  Mount  Vernon  House,  stopped  at 
Belvoir,  the  home  of  William  Fairfax,  an  intimate  friend  and  neighbor,  father-in- 
law  of  Lawrence.  Through  the  influence  of  his  brother  and  the  Fairfaxes,  he 
obtained  a  commission  as  midshipman  in  the  English  Navy.  All  preparations  had 
been  made  for  his  departure,  when  his  mother's  message,  her  final  command,  for- 
bidding the  step,  arrived.  In  obedience  to  this  command  and  in  deference  to  her 
wish,  the  boy  surrendered  his  commission  and  returned  to  his  studies,  back  to 
sm^eying  and  mathematics. 

Among  the  items  of  his  mother's  next  order  to  England,  for  annual  suppUes, 
was  one  for  a  good  penknife.  This  she  presented  to  the  boy,  as  a  reward  for  his 
submission  to  her  will,  with  the  injunction,  "Always  obey  your  superiors."  He 
carried  the  token  with  him  through  life,  as  a  reminder  of  his  mother's  command, 
and  to  General  Knox  explained  its  significance. 

At  Valley  Forge,  when  a  vacillating  and  timid  Congress  failed  to  provide 
food  and  shelter  for  his  ragged  and  starving  army,  in  desperation  and  despair, 
yielding  temporarily  to  his  feelings  and  sympathy  for  his  men,  and  in  disgust  with 
Congress,  he  wrote  his  resignation  as  commander-in-chief,  summoned  his  staff 
and  notified  them  of  his  action.  Among  the  officers  present  and  sitting  in  council 
was  Knox,  who  reminded  him  of  the  story  of  the  knife  and  his  mother's  injunction, 
"Always  obey  your  superiors;  you  were  commanded  to  lead  this  army  and  no  one 
has  ordered  you  to  cease  leading  it."  Washington  paused,  then  replied,  "There 
is  something  in  that.  I  will  think  it  over."  Half  an  hour  later  he  had  torn  up 
his  resignation,  determined  to  fight  on  to  the  end. 

Thus  upon  this  slender  thread,  the  story  of  a  little  knife,  and  a  mother's 
injunction,  hung  for  one  brief  moment  the  future  life  of  a  great  nation,  whose  gov- 
ernmental principles  have  enlightened  and  elevated  humanity.  A  mother's  gentle 
command  determined  the  course  of  a  noble  son  and  changed  the  map  of  the  world. 

The  little  knife  is  shown  in  the  group  with  the  chair  and  the 
key.  It  was  given  to  the  Lodge  in  1 8 1 2  by  Captain  Steptoe  Wash- 
ington, a  nephew  of  the  General,  and  one  of  the  executors  of  his  will. 
The  card  attached  states  that  it  was  in  Washington's  possession 
about  fifty-six  years.  Partly  legendary  and  partly  historical,  the 
narrative,  like  other  tales  of  his  childhood,  serves  to  illustrate  the 
character  of  the  boy  and  the  man,  and  is  beautifully  told  in  Owen 
Wister's  "Seven  ages  of  Washington." 

In  the  group  with  the  key  and  knife,  we  give  a  faithful  repro- 
duction of  the  old  chair  occupied  by  General  Washington  when 
Worshipful  Master  of  No.  22.  It  was  in  continuous  use  for  one 
hundred  and  seventeen  years  but,  as  "constant  dripping  wears  the 
stone," so  this  old  Gainsborough,  which  had  borne  its  precious  burden 


ALEXANDRIA-WASHINGTON   LODGE   NO.  22.  315 

when  new  and  strong,  began  slowly  to  yield  to  the  grind  of  time  and 
usage.  The  rips  in  the  seat  and  arms  were,  however,  the  work  of 
vandals,  the  ever-present  relic  fiends.  To  preserve  it  from  further 
abuse,  it  was  placed  in  a  glass  case  some  five  years  ago  and  is  not 
used  except  on  very  important  occasions. 

The  frame  of  mahogany  is  inlaid  with  white  holly  and  upholstered 
in  leather.  In  the  course  of  its  long  service  many  distinguished 
visitors  have  occupied  it,  among  them  General  Lafayette  in  1825, 
Vice-President  Fairbanks,  Speaker  Cannon,  Admiral  Schley,  Presi- 
dent Taft  and  others. 

On  the  occasion  of  Lafayette's  visit  to  the  Lodge  in  1825,  he 
presented  the  Lodge  with  the  front  door  key  of  the  Bastile,  which, 
made  by  hand  of  wrought  iron,  weighs  five  pounds — a  striking 
reminder  of  that  house  of  horrors.  The  key  with  the  silk  sash  con- 
taining the  picture  of  Lafayette,  worn  by  him  in  the  Lodge  on  the 
occasion  of  his  visit,  is  now  kept,  as  are  most  of  the  other  relics, 
in  a  glass  case  for  security,  a  feeble  protector  indeed  from  either 
fire  or  vandalism. 

The  little  trowel  in  the  illustration  was  used  by  General  Wash- 
ington, President  of  the  United  States,  at  the  laying  of  the  comer- 
stone  of  the  National  Capitol,  September  18,  1793.  The  blade  is  of 
silver  with  an  ivory  handle.  It  was  made  by  John  Duffey,  a  silver- 
smith of  Alexandria,  Virginia,  who  married  the  daughter  of  General 
Washington's  landscape  gardener.  The  little  implement  of  Masonry- 
has  been  used  on  many  important  occasions,  among  the  last  being 
to  lay  the  comer-stone  of  the  new  Masonic  Temple  in  Washington, 
D.  C,  by  President  Theodore  Roosevelt  and  the  Grand  Master  of 
the  District  of  Columbia,  and  later  to  lay  the  corner-stone  of  the  new 
Scottish  Rite  Cathedral,  now  being  erected  in  the  national  capital, 
by  the  Grand  Master  of  the  District  of  Columbia,  Most  Worshipful 
J.  Claude  Keiper,  and  the  Supreme  Grand  Commander  of  the 
Southern  Jurisdiction,  Scottish  Rite,  James  D.  Richardson. 

On  the  frontispiece  will  be  seen  a  copy  of  the  WiUiams  picture 
of  Washington,  which  attracts  as  much  attention  as  any  relic  in  the 
Lodge.  In  1793  the  Lodge,  by  resolution,  requested  General  Wash- 
ington, then  President  and  hving  in  Philadelphia,  to  sit  for  this 
picture,  and  after  obtaining  his  consent,  employed  Williams  of  that 
city  to  execute  the  work,  and  requested  General  Henry  (Light  Horse 
Harry)  Lee,  at  that  time  representing  this  district  in  Congress,  to 
introduce  Mr.  WiUiams,  which  he  did.     Washington  approved  the 


3i6  WASHINGTON    THE    MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

likeness  and  late  in  1794  it  was  received  from  the  artist  and  accepted 
by  the  Lodge. 

It  is  a  flesh-colored  pastel  and  pronounced  by  critics  of  superior 
quality.  It  is  an  entirely  different  conception  from  any  other  paint- 
ing of  the  General  extant,  resembUng  in  cast  and  feature  the  original 
Houdon  statue  in  Richmond,  Virginia,  and  is  the  only  painting  from 
life  showing  the  General  in  extreme  old  age  and  in  Masonic  regalia. 
Having  been  ordered,  received  and  accepted  by  the  neighbors  and 
Masonic  contemporaries  of  the  General,  men  who  knew  him  inti- 
mately and  were  with  him  in  every  walk  of  his  eventful  life,  who 
had  followed  his  fortunes  and  shared  his  adversities  in  war,  had  coun- 
seled and  supported  him  in  peace,  and  who,  when  his  labors  ended, 
had  sorrowfully  laid  him  to  his  eternal  rest,  it  is  beyond  reasonable 
conception  that  these  men  would  have  foisted  on  a  credulous  and 
confiding  posterity  a  spurious  picture  of  their  friend  and  compatriot. 

An  offer  of  fifty*  thousand  dollars  was  not  sufficient  inducement 
for  the  Lodge  to  part  with  this  treasure,  and  while  probably  sentiment 
has  enhanced  its  value  in  the  eyes  of  the  Fraternity  beyond  its 
intrinsic  worth,  past  association  and  its  Masonic  character  prevent 
the  possibility  of  future  disposal.  However  urgent  the  wants  or 
flattering  the  inducements,  it  will  be  kept,  in  remembrance  of  that 
association,  for  generations  of  Masons  yet  to  come. 

The  Lodge  also  possesses  another  picture  of  Washington,  by 
Peele,  known  as  '"^he  Pope  Peele  Picture,"  which  is  said  to  be  of 
great  value. 

The  painting  of  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette  given  in  this  work 
was  executed  in  1784,  immediately  after  the  Revolutionary  War, 
by  Peele,  and  presented  to  the  Lodge  by  an  English  admirer.  It 
shows  the  marquis  in  the  uniform  of  a  continental  general  officer 
at  the  age  of  twenty-seven. 

The  Lodge  possesses  also  a  life-sized  painting  of  the  marquis  in 
Masonic  regaUa,  which  it  highly  prizes,  painted  by  Hurdle  of  Alex- 
andria in  1840.  It  closely  resembles  the  patriot's  portrait  in  the 
National  Capitol  in  Washington. 

Of  all  the  works  of  art  in  possession  of  the  old  institution,  prob- 
ably none  even  approaches,  in  a  monetary  sense,  the  value  of  the 
painting  of  Thomas,  "Sixth  Lord,"  Fairfax.  It  descended  to  the 
Lodge  from  the  Fairfax  family  and  is  variously  estimated  to  be  worth 
from  fifty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  It  was  executed 
in  London  in  1730. 

•The  Lodge  now  has  a  standing  offer  of  $100,000  for  this  picture. 


ALEXANDRIA- WASHINGTON   LODGE   NO.  22.  317 

To  Fairfax,  more  than  any  other  man,  can  be  accredited  the 
honor  of  fostering  and  developing  the  genius  of  the  precocious  youth, 
Washington,  whose  Ufe  is  a  marvel  to  mankind  and  a  history  within 
itself. 

EUsha  Cullen  Dick  came  to  Alexandria  from  Philadelphia  prior 
to  1783.  One  of  the  organizers  of  the  first  Lodge,  No.  39,  he  served 
as  secretary  at  the  first  meeting  of  that  Lodge,  February  25,  1783, 
and  was  the  last  Worshipful  Master  under  the  Petmsylvania  juris- 
diction. In  1789  Dick  succeeded  General  Washington  as  Master 
and  as  such  laid  the  comer-stone  of  the  District  of  Columbia  in  1791. 
With  his  Lodge  as  escort  of  honor,  he  accompanied  General  Washing- 
ton and  assisted  in  laying  the  corner-stone  of  the  National  Capitol, 
in  1 793 ;  was  one  of  the  physicians  at  Washington's  bedside  when  he 
died;  presided  at  the  funeral  Lodge  called  December  16,  1799,  and 
performed  the  Masonic  service  at  his  funeral,  December  18,  1799. 
Dick's  silk  apron,  worn  at  the  funeral  of  Washington,  and  his  medicine 
scales  are  now  among  the  valued  possessions  of  the  Lodge.  He  died 
in  1828.  The  picture  of  the  doctor,  in  the  cut  of  the  Old  Lodge 
and  group  of  physicians,  is  from  St.Memin's  miniature  in  the  Library 
of  Congress. 

Colonel  George  Deneale  succeeded  Doctor  Dick  as  Worshipful 
Master  of  Lodge  No.  22,  December  27,  1799;  was  present  with  the 
Lodge  at  the  laying  of  the  comer-stone  of  the  National  Capitol,  and 
was  Junior  Warden  at  the  time  of  Washington's  funeral.  On  the 
latter  occasion  he  commanded  the  troops  in  attendance. 

As  Clerk  of  Court,  Deneale  recorded  Washington's  will,  January 
20,  1800.  His  relation  to  the  General  was  that  of  a  warm  personal 
friend.  He  died  in  18 18,  after  serving  as  Worshipful  Master  for 
thirteen  years.  The  silhouette  of  Colonel  Deneale  in  the  illustra- 
tion of  the  Old  Lodge  is  the  only  picture  extant. 

Dr.  James  Craik,  the  family  physician  of  General  Washington, 
was  a  Scotchman  by  birth,  and  came  to  America  in  1750.  Of  all 
men,  he  probably  enjoyed  the  most  intimate  acquaintance  with  the 
commander-in-chief.  As  surgeon  of  Fry's  regiment,  he  was  with 
him  in  the  Battle  of  the  Great  Meadows,  occupied  the  same  position 
under  Braddock,  participated  in  the  Battle  of  Fort  Duquesne,  and 
for  gallant  service  and  meritorious  conduct  on  that  occasion  received 
thirty  pounds  from  the  Virginia  Assembly.  Through  the  whole  war 
of  the  revolution  he  was  a  member  of  Washington's  military  family, 
was  a  surgeon-general  in  the  Continental  Army,  was  in  1777  appointed 


3i8  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

assistant  director-general  of  the  hospital  department  of  the  Army, 
and  when  ComwaUis  surrendered  was  director  of  the  hospital  corps 
at  Yorkto^vn.  He  nursed  Braddock  at  Monongahela,  Hugh  Mercer 
at  Princeton,  John  Custis  at  Eltham,  and  was  with  both  General 
Washington  and  his  wife,  Martha,  when  they  breathed  their  last 
at  Mount  Vernon.  He  was  a  zealous  IMason  and  among  the  first 
to  join  the  Fraternity  in  Alexandria.  His  apron  is  among  the 
treasures  of  the  Lodge.  He  died  at  his  country  place,  "Vaucluse," 
near  Alexandria,  February  6, 1814,  in  the  eighty-fourth  year  of  his  age. 

The  present  home  of  Washington  Lodge,  erected  on  the  site  of 
the  old  structure  destroyed  by  fire  in  187 1,  was  dedicated  by  the 
Most  Worshipful  Grand  Master  of  Virginia,  William  H.  Lambert 
(member  of  the  Lodge),  Monday,  the  23rd  day  of  February,  1874, 
in  the  presence  of  a  large  gathering  of  distinguished  members  of  the 
Order.  In  performing  the  ceremonies,  the  Grand  Master  was  as- 
sisted by  Colonel  Robert  E.  Withers,  Past  Grand  Master  of  Virginia, 
General  Albert  Pike,  Supreme  Commander  of  the  Southern  Juris- 
diction of  A.  A.  S.  R.  Masons  who  resided  in  Alexandria  at  that  time, 
and  the  venerable  John  Dove,  Grand  Secretary  of  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  Virginia,  whose  "Virginia  Digest"  has  become  a  virtual  code  for 
the  Fraternity  at  large. 

In  the  illustration*  is  seen  this  new  structure  as  it  is  to-day, 
the  high  portion  being  the  Temple.  It  is  flanked  on  either  side  by 
the  City  Hall.  At  the  time  of  its  erection  it  was  assumed  that  the 
building  would  afford  ample  accommodations  for  all  the  Masonic 
bodies  in  this  city  for  years  to  come  and  this  has  proven  correct, 
except  on  extraordinary  occasions.  It  is  now  the  meeting-place  of 
two  Blue  Lodges,  Andrew  Jackson,  No.  120,  and  Alexandria- Wash- 
ington, No.  22;  Mount  Vernon  Chapter,  No.  14,  R.  A.  M.,  Old 
Dominion  Commandery,  No.  11,  and  Virginia  Consistor}^  No.  2, 
A.  A.  S.  R.,  and  Martha  Washington  Chapter,  O.  E.  S.  The  build- 
ing, however,  while  affording  comfortable  and  sufficient  accommoda- 
tions for  Lodge  purposes,  is  not  of  the  fireproof  type,  in  consequence 
of  which  the  valuable  collection  of  Washington  souvenirs,  described 
elsewhere  in  this  work,  are  constantly  menaced  with  destruction,  and 
it  was  a  realization  of  this  fact  which  prompted  the  idea  of  a  national 
memorial  to  Washington  the  Mason. 

After  the  dedication  of  the  Temple  in  1874, Masonry  inAlexandria 

•The  upper  arrow  points  to  the  Temple  while  the  one  below  indicates  the  old  City  Hotel, 
Washington's  headquarters  in  Braddock's  campaign. 


r" 


> 


Q 
■z. 

< 

< 

H 
O 

Q 

O 


z 

< 
X 

a 

< 
Q 

< 


U 


ALEXANDRIA- WASHINGTON    LODGE    NO.  22.  319 

languished  to  some  extent  for  a  number  of  years,  and  it  was  not  until 
the  last  decade  of  the  last  century  that  a  genuine  revival  of  interest 
in  the  local  Order  came  to  stay.  The  old  custom  of  long  tenure  in 
office,  usually  detrimental  to  any  subordinate  institution,  and  other 
equally  antiquated  customs  had  prevailed  from  time  immemorial 
but  in  the  early  nineties  a  number  of  active,  energetic  young  men 
were  admitted  to  membership  and  immediately  began  to  take  interest 
in  the  rituahstic  work  and  to  otherwise  enliven  the  hitherto  prosaic 
communications  by  instituting  popular  social  features,  which  from 
the  first  had  a  salutary  effect,  materially  increasing  the  regular 
attendance.  By  their  vigorous  methods  and  a  just  application  of 
the  principles  that  moral  worth  and  rectitude  in  fife  and  not  social 
conditions  are  the  true  qualifications  of  the  worthy  Mason,  these 
men  soon  shattered  the  burdening  tradition  that  "  Washington  Lodge 
was  the  Lodge  of  the  elect,  a  Lodge  of  the  ultra-aristocracy."  This 
reputation,  which  had  grown  with  the  years,  was  reall}^  unmerited 
in  a  sense,  but  still  it  had  gone  abroad  and  stood  as  a  barrier  to 
prevent  many,  among  whom  were  the  very  best  of  the  moral  and 
mental  worth  of  the  community,  from  seeking  membership  in  the 
famous  old  institution.  The  introduction  of  more  progressive  ideas 
was  at  first  mildly  resented  by  the  patriarchs  of  the  Fraternity, 
who  clung  with  reverence  to  the  customs  of  their  fathers,  but  the 
new  order  of  things,  notwithstanding  these  honest  objections,  added 
new  life  to  the  Lodge  and  proved  in  the  end  to  be  its  salvation. 

Looking  back  over  the  intervening  years  of  success,  even  the 
most  pronounced  conservatives  rejoice  now  that  the  so-called  inno- 
vations were  introduced,  since  they  have  not  in  any  sense  lowered 
the  dignity  nor  diminished  the  public  respect  and  veneration  for 
their  beloved  institution.  The  change  was  fortunate  from  another 
point  of  view. 

The  time  was  approaching  when  the  Lodge  would  be  called 
upon  to  participate  in  one  of  the  most  imposing  Masonic  functions 
of  the  age,  and  the  young,  progressive  element  was  needed  to  cope 
with  that  and  other  equally  important  events  which  would  follow 
in  rapid  succession.  The  memorial  observance  of  the  one-hundredth 
aimiversary  of  the  death  of  Worshipful  George  Washington  by  the 
Masons  of  the  United  States,  held  December  14,  1899,  was  undoubt- 
edly the  most  universal  commemorative  service  ever  inaugurated 
in  the  history  of  the  American  Fraternity.  Nearly  every  Grand 
Master  or  Grand  Lodge  and  a  great  many  of  the  subordinate  Lodges 


320  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

throughout  this  country,  Canada,  England  and  some  of  the  conti- 
nental European  Grand  Lodges,  participated  in  some  way.  From 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  solemn  ceremonies  were  performed, 
sermons  delivered  and  eulogies  pronounced  on  the  life  and  character 
of  Washington.  The  center  of  this  great  memorial  observance  was 
Mount  Vernon,  but  Alexandria  was  the  place  of  rendezvous,  the 
nucleus  to  which  the  JMasonic  clans  from  every  direction  and  almost 
every  country  gathered  in  force.  In  that  year  the  Most  Worshipful 
Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia,  under  whose  auspices  the  great  commemora- 
tive service  was  held,  met  in  Grand  Annual  Communication  in  that 
city.  Most  Worshipful  R.  T.  W.  Duke,  Jr.,  then  Grand  Master, 
presided  and  acted  as  master  of  ceremonies. 

The  Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia  was  opened  in  ample  form,  in 
Lannon's  Opera  House,  southwest  corner  of  King  and  Pitt  Streets, 
on  the  13th  instant,  and  almost  the  entire  first  day  was  occupied  in 
the  formal  reception  and  introduction  of  the  distinguished  guests. 
It  assembled  again  at  nine  o'clock  on  December  14  and  was  called 
from  refreshment  to  labor  by  Right  Worshipful  George  W.  Wright, 
Deputy  Grand  Master,  presiding,  who  announced  that,  "pursuant 
to  a  former  arrangement,  the  Grand  Lodge  would  proceed  to  Mount 
Vernon  to  conduct  the  ceremonies  incident  to  the  observance  of 
the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  death  of  Worshipful  Brother 
George  Washington."  The  Grand  Lodge  was  then  formed  in  the 
following  order :  Grand  Tiler,  with  drawn  sword ;  two  Stewards  with 
white  rods;  Master  Masons;  Alexandria- Washington  Lodge,  No.  22; 
Fredericksburg  Lodge,  No.  4;  officers  and  members  of  the  Grand 
Lodge;  Deputy  Grand  Masters.  The  procession  marched  to  the 
wharf  at  the  foot  of  Prince  Street  where  they  boarded  the  steamer 
for  Mount  Vernon.  On  arriving  there,  they  were  joined  by  Federal 
Lodge,  No.  I,  of  the  District  of  Columbia,  and  representatives  from 
the  following  jurisdictions:  Alabama,  Arkansas,  Connecticut,  Dela- 
ware, District  of  Columbia,  England,  Florida,  Georgia,  Illinois, 
Indiana,  Indian  Territory,  Iowa,  Kansas,  Kentucky,  Maine,  Mary- 
land, Massachusetts,  Minnesota,  Michigan,  Missouri,  Montana, 
Nebraska,  New  Hampshire,  New  Jersey,  New  Mexico,  New  York, 
North  Carolina,  Nova  Scotia,  Ohio,  Oklahoma,  Oregon,  South 
Dakota,  Tennessee,  Texas,  Utah,  Vermont,  Victoria,  Washington, 
West  Virginia,  Wisconsin,  and  Wyoming.  The  procession,  reform- 
ing, moved  from  the  wharf  to  the  mansion  house  and  was  there 
joined   by   the   President   of   the   United   States,    Brother   William 


ALEXANDRIA-WASHINGTON  LODGE  NO.  22.  32 1 

McKinley,  of  Lodge  No.  431,  Canton,  Ohio,  escorted  by  Most  Wor- 
shipful R.  T.  W.  Duke,  Grand  Master  of  Masons  in  Virginia,  and  a 
large  committee  from  the  several  jurisdictions.  It  is  estimated  that 
twelve  thousand  people  were  present.  The  procession  then  passed 
in  front  of  the  mansion  house,  following  the  route  of  the  original 
funeral  cortege,  one  hundred  years  before.  Arriving  at  the  old 
tomb,  prayer  was  offered  by  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop  Randolph 
of  Virginia;  from  thence  they  moved  to  the  new  tomb,  where  prayer 
was  again  offered.  It  was  at  the  new  tomb  that  the  most  touching 
of  all  the  ceremonies  took  place. 

Grand  Master  Duke,*  in  opening  the  service,  said : 

My  Brethren,  one  hundred  years  ago  the  Supreme  Architect  of  the  Universe 
removed  from  the  terrestrial  to  the  celestial  Lodge,  our  Brother,  George  Washington; 
about  his  tomb  we  assemble  to-day  in  our  character  as  Masons  to  testify  that  time 
has  not  weakened  our  veneration  for  his  memory  nor  years  brought  f orgetfulness  of 
his  virtues.  From  the  east  and  west,  from  the  north  and  south,  from  the  Isles  of 
the  Sea,  Masons  have  come  to-day  to  mark  the  first  century  of  his  departure  from 
the  earth  to  Heaven. 

Most  Worshipful  Duke  then  called  upon  each  Grand  Master 
or  representative  of  the  Grand  Jurisdictions  present,  who  made 
proper  response,  expressing  some  sentiment  appropriate  to  the  occa- 
sion, from  which  we  quote  the  following  as  typical  of  the  whole : 

Grand  Mastbr  of  Virginia.:  My  Brother,  the  Grand  Master  of  Massachu- 
setts, what  message  do  you  bring  us  to-day? 

Grand  Master  of  Massachusetts:  From  the  Commonwealth  where  Lex- 
ington and  Concord  and  Bunker  Hill  were  fought ;  from  the  Cradle  of  American 
Freedom,  I  bring  greetings  of  veneration  and  respect,  and  a  wreath  of  leaves  from 
the  elm  under  which  he  took  command  of  the  armies  of  freedom.  Washington 
and  Adams  and  Warren  sleep,  but  Liberty  is  yet  awake. 

Grand  Master  of  Virginia:  My  Brother,  the  Grand  Master  of  Rhode 
Island,  have  you  a  message  for  us? 

Grand  IVIaster  of  Rhode  Island:  From  the  Old  Plantations  I  bring  you  a 
greeting  to  the  immortal  memory  of  our  greatest  dead.  Great  men  die,  but  great 
principles  are  eternal. 

Grand  Master  of  Virginia:  My  brother,  the  Grand  Master  of  Connecticut, 
what  is  your  message? 

Grand  ]VL\ster  of  Connecticut  :  The  same  blood  runs  in  the  veins  of  those 
who  made  the  Oak  the  treasure-house  of  their  charter.  The  spirits  of  Roger 
Sherman  and  of  Israel  Putnam  hail  that  of  their  great  compatriot.  Hail — never  to 
say  Farewell ! 

*Grand  Master  Duke,  who  was  master  of  ceremonies  on  this  occasion,  is  now  a  member  of 
the  Executive  Committee  of  The  George  Washington  Masonic  National  Memorial  Association. 
(See  illustration  entitled  Group  of  Officers,  next  chapter.) 


322 


WASHINGTON   the;   MAN   AND   TH^   MASON 


Grand  Master  of  Virginia:  My  Brother,  the  Grand  Master  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, we  await  your  message. 

Grand  Master  of  New  Hampshire:  Of  old  sat  Freedom  on  the  heights; 
her  dwelling-place  is  with  us  yet.  The  land  of  Stark  greets  those  ashes  as  the 
Temple  in  which  once  dwelt  the  Father  of  American  Freedom. 

Gr.\nd  Master  of  Virginia  :  My  Brother,  the  Grand  Master  of  New  Jersey, 
have  you  a  message  ? 

Grand  Master  of  New  Jersey:  Monmouth  and  Trenton  and  Princeton 
knew  him.  Valley  Forge  yet  remembers  his  prayers  and  the  endurance  of  the  heroes 
whom  he  led.  The  soul-stirring  peals  of  the  bell  which  proclaimed  Liberty  from 
its  tower  in  Philadelphia,  the  birthplace  of  Independence,  are  still  sounding  through 
our  land,  testimonials  that  the  memory  of  Washington  is  imperishable.  No  Com- 
monwealth cherishes  more  faithfully  his  illustrious  name. 

Grand  Master  of  Virginia:  My  Brother,  the  Grand  Master  of  Delaware, 
have  you  a  message? 

Grand  JVIaster  of  Delaware:  Where  is  the  Commonwealth  in  whose 
borders  he  is  not  reverenced?  I  bring  you  to-day  the  love  and  veneration  of  my 
people,  as  true  now  as  in  1776. 

Grand  Master  of  Virginia  :  My  Brother,  the  Grand  Master  of  Maryland 
your  greeting? 

Grand  Master  of  Maryland  :  From  the  mountains  to  the  Chesapeake  his 
fame  dwells  secure.  But  a  river  divides  his  birthplace  and  his  tomb  from  oiu" 
Commonwealth.  All  the  seas  could  not  divide  us  from  our  love  and  admiration  of 
his  memory. 

Grand  Master  of  Virginla:  My  Brother,  the  Grand  Master  of  North 
Carolina,  what  testimonial  do  you  bring  in? 

Grand  Master  of  North  Carolina:  His  memory  is  as  green  to-day  as  the 
verdure  of  our  pine-trees.  His  fame  as  enduring  as  our  everlasting  hiUs.  Cowpens 
and  King's  Mountain  and  Guilford.  We  brought  him  these.  We  bring  him  to-day 
the  love  of  sons  as  faithful  as  their  sires. 

Grand  Master  of  Virginia:  My  Brother,  the  Grand  Master  of  South 
Carolina,  what  say  you? 

Grand  Master  of  South  Carolina  :  Sumter  and  Jasper  and  Marion  were 
ours.  Washington  was  no  less  ours,  for  he  made  their  victories  complete.  I  bring 
you  this  palmetto  for  your  wreath. 

Grand  Master  of  Virginia:  My  Brother,  the  Grand  Master  of  Georgia, 
your  message? 

Grand  Master  of  Georgia:  Last,  but  not  least,  of  the  Thirteen!  Pulaski's 
blood  enriched  our  soil!  Washington  was  ours  as  he  was  yours.  Peace  to  these 
ashes  and  peace  to  the  land  he  loved. 

All  the  Grand  Masters:  Enlighten  us  with  Thy  Light  everlasting,  oh 
Father,  and  grant  unto  us  perpetual  peace. 

The  Cr<vkt:  So  mote  it  be.     Amen. 

Grand  Master  of  Virginia:  My  Brother,  the  Grand  Master  of  Maine, 
■what  say  you? 

Grand  Master  of  Maine:  The  granite  hills  shall  perish  before  the  memory 


ALEXANDRIA-WASHINGTON  LODGE   NO.  22. 


323 


of  his  greatness  shall  pass  away.  We  yield  to  no  commonwealth  in  our  love  for 
Washington. 

(Then  the  sections,  east,  west,  north  and  south,  were  separately  called  and 
responded  in  unison.) 

Grand  Mastbr  of  Virginia:  What  says  the  South? 

The  Grand  Masters  of  Florida,  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  Texas,  Alabama, 
AND  Tennessee  in  Union  :  Pine-trees  and  palms ;  broad  prairies  and  savannahs ; 
the  Mighty  Father  of  Waters.  All  these  knew  of  his  greatness :  all  these  claim  him 
as  the  Father  of  their  Liberties. 

Grand  Master  of  Virginia  :  What  say  the  states  once  part  of  Old  Virginia — 
Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana,  Kentucky  and  West  Virginia? 

Grand  Masters  in  Union  :  Masons  throughout  our  mountains,  valleys  and 
prairies  honor  and  revere  the  memory  of  George  Washington,  and  bow  around 
his  tomb  in  gratitude  for  his  services  to  the  land  he  loved,  and  to  the  cause  of 
Masonry,  to  which  he  devoted  his  earliest  and  latest  manhood. 

Grand  Master  of  Virginia:  What  says  the  West? 

The  Grand  Masters  from  all  the  Western  States  in  Union  :  We,  too, 
are  children  of  the  Father  of  his  Country.  Here  we  proclaim  our  love  for  his 
memory  and  thankfulness  for  his  life. 

Grand  Master  of  Virginia:  The  North,  the  South,  the  East  and  West 
have  spoken.  But  Washington  belongs  not  to  any  one  clime  or  people.  What 
say  you,  my  brethren  of  other  lands?  Lands  foreign  the  cowan  may  call  you, 
but  in  the  name  of  Masonry  I  haU  you  as  our  own. 

The  representatives  of  foreign  jurisdictions  were  then  called  upon 
and  probably  the  most  affecting  part  of  this  particularly  impressive 
ceremony  was  the  response  to  the  call  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  England, 
which  was  made  by  Brother  Charles  Woodberry  of  Liberty  Lodge, 
Beverly,  Massachusetts,  and  an  Honorary  Member  of  Alexandria- 
Washington  Lodge.  Brother  Woodberry,  on  behalf  of  Constitutional 
Lodge,  No.  294,  of  Beverly,  England,  and  the  Right  Honorable 
Earl  of  Londesborough,  P.  G.  S.  W.  of  England,  presented  two 
wreaths  composed  of  oak,  laurel,  ivy  and  yew,  sent  over  from  the 
mother  country  for  the  occasion.  These  were  accompanied  by  proper 
tributes  and  inscriptions  and  the  following  poem,  written  for  the 
occasion  by  Richard  Wilton,  Canon  of  York  and  Chaplain  to  the 
Earl  of  Londesborough: 


I. 

An  English  Wreath,  we  fain  would  lay 
Upon  this  mighty  Tomb  to-day — 
Of  laurel,  ivy,  oak  and  yew, 
Which  drank  the  English  sun  and  dew 
On  far-off  Yorkshire's  grassy  sod; 
Where  once — we  boast — his  fathers  trod. 
Whom  East  and  West  unite  to  praise. 
And  crown  with  never-fading  bays. 


II. 

And  thine  the  laurel,  for  the  fame 
Illustrious  of  a  Conqueror's  name- 
Patient  to  wait  and  prompt  to  strike. 
Intrepid,  fiery,  mild  alike: 
Great,  for  the  greatness  of  the  foe 
Which  fell  by  thy  repeated  blow: 
Great,  for  thy  Creator's  greatness,  won. 
By  thee,  her  most  beloved  son. 


324  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THB   MASON. 

III.  IV. 

O  Washington,  thy  symbol  be  And  as  the  ivy  twines  around 

The  oak  for  strength  and  constancy,  Cottage  and  tower,  thy  heart  was  found 

For  grandeur  and  for  grace  of  form,  Clinging  to  home,  and  church  and  wife 

For  calmness  in  the  stress  and  storm.  The  sweeter  for  the  finished  strife: 

The  monarch  of  the  forest  thou!  And  so  thy  memory,  like  the  yew. 

To  thee  the  generations  bow;  Will  still  be  green  to  mortal  view — 

And  under  thy  great  shadow  rest,  "The  greatest  of  good  men"  confest 

For  ever  free,  for  ever  blest.  By  all,  "and  of  great  men  the  best." 

Most  Worshipful  Thomas  B.  FUnt,  Grand  Master  of  Nova 
Scotia,  responded: 

On  behalf  of  forty  thousand  British  Masons  in  Canada,  I  gratefully  offer 
homage  to  the  distinguished  Mason,  the  noble  statesman,  and  the  great  soldier- 
patriot  of  America,  otu-  sainted  Brother,  George  Washington. 

Right  Worshipful  R.  B.  Hungerford,  Deputy  Grand  Master  of 
Canada,  responded  to  the  call  of  that  jurisdiction  as  follows: 

From  the  land  of  the  North,  fair  Canada,  I  bring  you  tidings  of  fraternal  love 
and  affection  from  twenty-five  thousand  Craftsmen.  We  too,  revere  the  memory 
of  the  immortal  Washington. 

Worshipful  Albert  J.  Klruger,  representative  of  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  Belgium,  made  the  following  response : 

The  Masons  of  Belgium,  gratefully  remembering  the  invaluable  services 
General  George  Washington  has  rendered  the  whole  human  family,  and  ever 
admiring  his  greatness  as  a  man  and  his  fidelity  as  a  Mason,  have  charged  me  to 
unite  with  you  in  honoring  the  memory  of  the  illustrious  dead  and  deposit  on  his 
tomb  in  spirit  a  sincere  tribute  of  their  love  and  veneration.  This  I  do  with  as 
much  devotion  and  personal  reverence  as  any  human  heart  is  capable  of  indulging. 

The  ceremonial  at  the  new  tomb  closed  with  an  improvised 
burial  service,  typifying  the  three  sections  of  the  country: 

The  Grand  Master  of  the  District  of  Columbia  (representing  the  Atlantic 
States), approaching  the  sarcophagus,  said :  "This  Lambskin  or  white  leather  apron 
is  an  emblem  of  innocence  and  the  time-honored  badge  of  a  Free  and  Accepted 
Mason.  Kings  have  not  disdained  it;  princes  have  been  proud  to  wear  it.  Wash- 
ington wore  it,  and  its  spotless  form  lay  upon  his  coffin  a  century  ago.  I  deposit 
it  here  in  remembrance  of  this  beloved  brother— a  workman  who  in  no  respect  was 
ever  unworthy  of  his  work." 

The  Grand  Master  of  Missouri  (representing  the  Central  States) :  This 
Glove  is  a  token  of  friendship.  I  deposit  it  here  as  an  evidence  that  death  only 
breaks  the  hand-clasp.  The  tie  which  binds  the  heart  of  man  to  the  heart  of  man 
remains  unbroken  forever  and  forever. 

The  Grand  Master  of  California  (representing  the  Western  States): 
This  Evergreen  is  an  emblem  of  the  Masonic  faith  in  the  resurrection  of  the  body 


ALEXAITORIA-WASHINGTON   LODGE   NO.  22.  325 

and  the  immortality  of  the  soul.  I  deposit  it  here  in  the  confidence  of  a  certain 
faith,  in  the  reasonable  religious  and  happy  hope  that  this  dead  body  encoffined 
here  will  at  the  last  day  arise  a  glorious  form  to  meet  our  God.  To  Whom  be  glory 
and  honor  and  power  and  majesty  and  might  and  dominion  now  and  for  evermore. 

Tne  Craft:  Amen. 

All  of  the  Grand  Masters:  Oh,  Death,  where  is  thy  sting? 

The  Craft:  Oh,  Grave,  where  is  thy  victory? 

Wreaths  were  then  deposited  from  the  Grand  Lodges  of  the 
thirteen  original  states;  from  the  Earl  of  Londesborough,  Past 
Grand  Senior  Warden  of  England;  from  Constitutional  Lodge,  No. 
294,  Beverly,  England;  from  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State  of  Texas; 
from  the  President  of  the  United  States;  from  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
the  District  of  Columbia;  from  Liberty  Lodge,  Beverly,  Mass.,  and 
many  others. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  ceremonies  at  the  new  tomb,  the  pro- 
cession returned  to  the  mansion,  where  Most  Worshipful  Duke, 
in  the  following  short  address  introduced  Brother  William  McKlinley: 

My  Brethren  :  At  this  shrine  we  have  come  to  show  that  Masonry  can  never 
forget  her  illustrious  dead,  can  never  forget  that  Death  is  but  the  birth  of  Im- 
mortality, and  that  nothing  that  is  good  in  man,  or  worthy  of  love  and  admiration, 
can  ever  die.  To  speak  to  us,  to-day,  we  have  bidden  one  who  like  Washington 
disdains  not  the  humble  badge  of  labor,  the  Master's  Apron,  who  fills  to-day  the 
chair  once  filled  by  Washington,  and  for  whose  success  in  government,  for  whose 
health,  prosperity  and  peace  every  true  citizen  offers  his  sincerest  prayers.  How 
shall  I  introduce  him?  I  might  bid  you  hail  him  as  the  Head  of  the  United  Com- 
monwealths, the  Chief  of  the  Nation — your  chosen  ruler.  I  might  speak  of  him 
as  the  gallant  soldier,  gallant  upon  the  field  and  braver  yet  in  honoring  the  b  avery 
of  his  former  foemen. 

But  I  will  not  do  so.  Other  times  and  other  places  might  si'it  such  ai.  intro- 
duction. To-day  I  shall  bid  you  listen  to  the  voice  of  a  Virgini?  made  Mason* — 
the  son  of  the  great  Commonwealth  of  Ohio,  once  a  part  of  Virginia — whom  Virginia 
Masonry  claims  here,  yet  gives  him  as  Virginia  hath  ever  given  alike  her  land  ;  and 
her  children  to  her  coimtry,  the  American  Mason,  our  Brother  William  McKinley. 

President  McKinley  deUvered  a  chaste  and  beautiful  address, 
and  the  ceremonies  at  Mount  Vernon  closed  with  an  eloquent  oration 
by  Most  Worshipful  Duke.f 

All  three  of  the  Lodges  present  and  participating  in  the  com- 
memorative service  at  Mount  Vernon  had  been  directly  associated 


*President  William  McKinley  was  made  a  Mason  at  Winchester,  Virginia,  during  the 
Civil  War. 

tA  full  accoimt  of  this  interesting  ceremonj',  including  the  oration?  of  both  President 
McKinley  and  Most  Worshipful  Duke,  can  be  found  in  the  proceedings  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Virginia,  1899. 


326  WASHINGTON  THE   MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

in  some  way  with  General  Washington.  He  had,  as  is  well  known, 
been  raised  in  Fredericksburg,  No.  4;  was  the  first  Worshipful  Master 
of  No.  22;  and  Federal  Lodge  had  assisted  in  performing  the  last 
rites  at  his  funeral,  its  Worshipful  Master,  Alexander  McCormick, 
bearing  one  of  the  Lesser  Lights,  while  Captain  James  Hoban  (one  of 
the  founders  and  first  Worshipful  Master  of  this  Lodge)  was  architect 
of  the  National  Capitol  and  Executive  Mansion  and  a  personal 
friend  of  General  Washington.  It  was  therefore  singularly  appro- 
priate that  these  three  venerable  institutions  should,  after  the  lapse 
of  a  hundred  years,  form  a  trinity  around  the  tomb  of  the  man  whose 
name  and  association  had  made  them  famous  and  venerated  amongst 
the  Masons  of  the  world. 

Mount  Vernon,  until  quite  recently,  was  somewhat  sequestered. 
The  overland  route  was  tedious  and  rough,  while  a  single  boat  made 
but  one  trip  a  day  from  our  national  capital  to  the  home  and  tomb 
of  Washington,  but  on  Tuesday  evening,  September  i,  1892,  the 
Washington-Alexandria  &  Mount  Vernon  Railway  Company  sent 
its  first  passenger  car  from  Alexandria  to  Mount  Vernon  gates. 
These  trains,  however,  connected  with  the  steam  road  in  Alexandria 
and  tourists  were  compelled  to  transfer  in  order  to  complete  the  trip, 
and  it  was  not  until  June  7,  1896,  that  the  first  train,  carrying  pas- 
sengers direct  from  the  capital  city  to  Mount  Vernon,  made  its 
initial  trip. 

The  establishment  of  this  route  placed  Alexandria  in  the  imme- 
diate line  of  travel  and  brought  Alexandria- Washington  Lodge  and 
other  historic  places  in  that  city  within  the  compass  of  the  human 
tide  which  flows  with  ever-increasing  volume  to  the  sacred  shrine 
on  the  Potomac,  eight  miles  below. 

The  annual  increase  in  the  number  of  tourists  to  Mount  Vernon 
since  the  installation  of  the  electric  railroad  is  almost  beyond  con- 
ception. In  1892  there  was  a  total  of  35,817  paid  admissions.  In 
1896,  the  year  in  which  through  trains  were  instaUed,  this  number 
had  increased  to  30,519  by  boat  and  41,390  by  train,  a  total  for  the 
year  of  71,909,  while  in  191 1  there  were  52,905  by  boat,  64,868  by 
train,  and  569  by  other  means,  making  a  grand  total  of  118,143  P^id 
admissions  as  against  35,817  in  1892,  nineteen  years  before. 

A  very  large  proportion  of  the  visitors  to  the  home  of  Washington 
are  Masons  or  their  families.  In  consequence  of  this,  it  was  not  long 
after  the  establishment  of  railroad  communication  with  the  cele- 
brated homestead  that  the  demands  upon  the  ofiicers  and  members 


4^ 


ALEXANDRIA-WASHINGTON    LODGE   NO.  22.  327 

of  the  Lodge  to  gain  admittance  to  the  sanctum  and  view  the  relics 
grew  to  be  a  serious  burden,  and  in  a  short  while  it  became  necessary 
to  open  its  doors  and  place  a  custodian  constantly  in  charge.  The 
movement  was  vigorously  opposed  at  first  but  necessity  finally  com- 
pelled favorable  action.  On  May  i,  1907,  Brother  Parke  C.  Timber- 
man  was  appointed  first  custodian,  which  position  he  held  until  his 
death,  February  10,  191 1 ,  when  the  present  incumbent,  Brother  George 
W.  Zachary,  was  duly  installed.  Like  the  superintendency  of  Mount 
Vernon,  though  on  a  more  limited  scale,  the  position  is  one  of  great  and 
constantly  increasing  responsibility,  requiring  the  most  sedulous  care. 
The  vandal  and  relic  hunters  are  apparently  everywhere  and  ready 
at  all  times  to  carry  away  the  most  worthless  or  the  most  valuable 
souvenir  accessible.  No  place  is  too  sacred,  no  risk  too  great  for 
these  invaders,  and  unceasing  vigilance  is  the  only  possible  safe- 
guard against  their  insidious  depredations. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  MASONIC  NATIONAL 
MEMORIAL  ASSOCIATION 

'HE  movement  to  erect  a  memorial  to  Washington,  the 
Mason,  in  Alexandria,  Virginia,  was  largely  the 
result  of  a  prevailing  condition  and  not  entirely  origi- 
nal with  Alexandria  Masons.  While  the  subject  of 
a  fireproof  structure  for  the  preservation  of  the 
Washington  relics  owned  by  Alexandria- Washington 
Lodge  had  been  frequently  discussed  and  at  one  time  as  much  as 
thirty  thousand  dollars  subscribed  toward  the  erection  of  such  a 
building,  sentimental  attachment  to  the  old  home  and  other  reasons 
of  a  like  nature  predominated  and  the  undertaking  was  finally  aban- 
doned. This  effort  was  entirely  local,  confined  to  local  interests,  and 
contained  none  of  the  national  features  of  the  present  more  com- 
prehensive plan. 

The  estabhshment  of  raikoad  communications  to  Mount  Vernon 
with  stopover  privileges  in  Alexandria,  the  installation  of  a  custodian 
in  the  Lodge  and  the  opening  of  its  doors  to  the  public,  introduced  a 
new  era.  As  a  result  of  this  changed  condition  many  influential  mem- 
bers of  the  Craft  visited  the  old  institution  while  on  their  pilgrimage 
to  the  home  of  Washington  and  became  interested  in  the  preservation 
of  the  relics.  Among  these  was  Most  Worshipful  Oscar  Lawler,  Past 
Grand  Master  of  California,  who,  observing  the  lack  of  fire  protection 
for  the  relics  which  he  considered  of  inestimable  sentimental  and 
intrinsic  value  to  the  Craft  at  large,  expressed  the  opinion  that  Alex- 
andria was  the  logical  site  for  a  national  memorial  to  Washington,  the 
Mason;  "a  place,"  said  he,  "so  inseparably  associated  with  him  as 
a  man  and  a  Mason,  should  be  made  the  mecca  for  the  American 
Fraternity."  Others  of  equal  prominence  in  the  Order  confirmed 
Mr.  Lawler's  opinion  and  urged  prompt  and  energetic  action  on  the 
part  of  the  Lodge. 

Most  of  these  suggestions,  however,  were  made  with  a  view  to 
protecting  the  possessions  of  the  Lodge  and  not  with  any  idea  of 
forming  a  national  Masonic  association  or  society. 

After  much  delay,  the  subject  being  taken  up  in  the  Lodge  and 
fully  discussed,  it  was  finally  determined  that  no  movement  which 

329 


330  WASHINGTON  THE   MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

had  the  Sole  object  of  procuring  better  quarters  for  the  Lodge  or 
greater  security  for  its  possessions  at  the  expense  of  others  was  con- 
sistent with  true  Masonic  principles.  It  was  argued  that  Washington 
Lodge,  owning  its  Temple  and  being  free  from  debt,  could  not  con- 
sistently ask  the  Masons  of  the  United  States  to  contribute  to  the 
erection  of  a  more  luxurious  home  for  them  without  identification  in 
some  way,  regardless  of  the  objects  in  view.  This  being  the  sense  of 
the  Lodge,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  fully  investigate  the  subject, 
and,  as  a  result  of  their  report,  eleven  members  of  the  local  Fraternity 
were  selected  to  compose  what  should  be  known  as  the  Executive 
or  Local  Memorial  Temple  Committee.  Suitable  resolutions  were 
adopted  by  the  Lodge,  giving  the  Committee  full  power  in  the  prem- 
ises, and  Most  Worshipful  Joseph  W.  Eggleston,  Grand  Master  of 
Masons  in  Virginia,  was  requested  to  approve  the  movement  and  to 
assist  in  the  organization  of  a  National  Memorial  Association. 
Endorsing  the  Committee's  plan.  Most  Worshipful  Eggleston,  in  the 
fall  of  1909,  extended  the  first  invitation  to  the  several  Grand  Masters 
of  the  United  States  to  assemble  in  Alexandria  on  the  22  nd  of  Feb- 
ruary, 19 10,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  National  Masonic  Memo- 
rial Association  with  the  object  of  erecting  a  memorial  to  Washington, 
the  Mason. 

This  letter  of  Brother  Eggleston  was  followed  by  a  communi- 
cation from  the  Master  of  Alexandria-Washington  Lodge,  from 
which  we  publish  an  extract : 

.  .  .  Mount  Vernon,  the  mecca  of  patriotic  America,  has  long  since  been 
deemed  the  hallowed  shrine  of  American  Masonry.  Here  lies  the  beloved  and  most 
distinguished  votary  of  the  Craft  of  modem  times,  and  close  by,  in  the  colonial 
town  of  Alexandria,  is  the  Lodge,  still  vigorous  in  its  old  age,  over  which  he  presided, 
whose  charter  bears  his  name  as  Master,  whose  walls  hang  with  priceless  memen- 
toes of  the  immortal  Craftsman.  At  every  turn  the  eye  falls  upon  the  venerated 
trinkets,  personal  effects  and  Masonic  treasures  of  the  mighty  Washington,  handed 
down  by  family  and  friends  to  be  kept  in  this  venerated  sanctum  sanctorum  as 
sacred  reminders  of  a  precious  past. 

.  .  .  For  years  the  ever  increasing  army  of  touring  Craftsmen,  animated 
by  profound  reverence,  have  vainly  appealed  to  us  to  inaugurate  a  national  move- 
ment to  erect  a  memorial  to  Washington,  the  Mason,  and  thereby  preserve  in  a 
fireproof  repository  these  sacred  treasures,  as  a  legacy  for  future  generations  of 
Masons,  and  the  glory  of  our  national  institution.  These  appeals  are  not  the  tran- 
sitory vaporings  of  irresponsible  dreamers,  fired  by  momentary  enthusiasm  and  ex- 
citement, but  the  earnest,  sincere  suppUcations  of  the  best  and  most  representative 
citizens  in  America,  men  of  high  character,  of  noble  impulses,  who  earnestly  desire 
to  enrich  and  ennoble  the  Craft  by  exalting  the  fame  of  "  Washington,  the  Mason." 


WASHINGTON    MASONIC   MEMORIAL   ASSOCIATION.  33! 

Guided  by  this  potent  influence  and  in  response  to  this  urgent  call,  we  have 
determined,  alter  mature  consideration,  to  launch  on  February  22,  19 10,  an  appeal 
to  every  Grand  Jurisdiction  in  the  United  States  to  co-operate  with  us  in  building 
a  national  memorial  to  "Washington,  the  Mason,"  and  to  perpetuate  in  imperish- 
able form,  the  momentous  Masonic  events  in  the  life  of  Washington. 

.  .  .  We  submit  this  proposition,  we  send  this  invitation  with  an  earnest 
request  that  you  attend  in  person,  but  if  impossible  to  do  so,  send  a  representative 
duly  accredited  and  authorized  to  act.  The  whole  undertaking  has  the  earnest 
and  active  support  of  both  the  present  and  the  prospective  Grand  Masters  in  Vir- 
ginia; and  remember,  my  brother,  that  you  are  not  honoring  Washington  alone, 
but  every  man  in  every  Grand  Jurisdiction  considered  worthy  of  special  honor  by 
the  powers  that  be  in  his  particular  jurisdiction. 

In  response  to  this  call  and  the  urgent  appeal  and  endorsement 
previously  sent  by  Most  Worshipful  Eggleston,  eighteen  representa- 
tives of  Grand  Lodges  assembled  in  the  Masonic  Temple  in  Alex- 
andria, at  the  appointed  time,  February  22,  1910,  and  with  Most 
Worshipful  Wm.  B.  McChesney,  who  had  succeeded  Brother  Eggle- 
ston in  the  Grand  East,  presiding,  began  the  serious  consideration 
of  the  subject  in  question. 

Grand  Master  McChesney,  in  opening  the  convention,  gave  tne 
movement  his  unqualified  endorsement.     He  said  in  part: 

...  By  the  grace  of  God  and  the  invitation  of  Alexandria-Washington 
Lodge,  No.  22,  we  are  here  to-day  to  begin  an  organization,  which  we  hope  will  be 
as  lasting  as  the  memory  of  him  whose  birthday  we  celebrate.  In  the  beginning 
I  wish  to  state  that  this  is  a  function  entirely  of  Alexandria-Washington  Lodge. 
I,  like  other  representatives  from  other  Grand  Jurisdictions,  am  an  invited  guest. 
They  have  conceived  this  to  be  something  that  is  due  the  nation.  Having  for  their 
first  Master,  Worshipful  Brother  George  Washington,  they  necessarily  feel  that  he 
is  of  them  and  is  theirs.  They  have  priceless  relics  of  his  life  surrounding  them, 
and  as  they  wish  to  preserve  them  for  the  national  Fraternity,  propose  to  make 
this  a  national  organization.  If  they  desired  to  erect  a  building,  simply  as  an 
ornament  to  their  city  or  for  the  comfort  of  their  Lodge,  the  sale  of  their  sacred 
relics  at  public  auction  would  yield  a  sum  sufficient  to  build  the  finest  temple  in 
Virginia,  but,  appreciating  their  history  and  behoving  that  the  other  Grand  Juris- 
dictions feel  interested  in  Brother  Washington,  as  they  do,  they  come  before  you 
with  this  proposition,  that  the  matter  may  be  taken  up  as  a  national  project. 

After  concluding  his  address,  Most  Worshipful  McChesney,  on 
motion,  appointed  the  following  committee  on  permanent  organiza- 
tion: Honorable  James  D.  Richardson,  Supreme  Grand  Commander, 
Southern  Jurisdiction,  A.  A.  S.  R.,  Chairman;  General  Thomas  J. 
Shryock,  Grand  Master  of  Maryland;  Delmar  D.  Darrah,  Deputy 
Grand  Master  of  Illinois;  Henry  Banks,  Grand  Master  of  Georgia* 


332  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE    MASON. 

Henry  H.  Ross,  Past  Grand  Master  of  Vermont;  Thomas  J.  Day, 
Past  Grand  Master  of  Delaware;  John  H.  Cowles,  Grand  Master  of 
Kentucky;  James  R.  Johnson,  Grand  Master  of  South  CaroUna;  and 
Wm.  H.  Nichols,  representative  of  the  Grand  Master  of  Texas;  who, 
after  several  hours  of  deliberation,  reported : 

Whereas  Alexandria,  Virginia,  was  the  home  town  of  George  Washington, 
he  being  a  member  of  its  Coxmcil,  a  vestryman  in  Christ  Church,  and  first  Master 
of  Alexandria  Lodge,  No.  22;  Alexandria's  citizens  first  celebrating  his  birthday, 
its  soldiers,  phj'sicians,  ministers  and  Masons  ministering  to  him  in  life  and  in  death, 
the  Alexandria- Washington  Lodge  possessing,  as  priceless  heirlooms,  many  of  the 
personal  effects  and  Masonic  treasures  of  this  man,  "whom  Heaven  left  childless 
that  a  nation  might  call  him  father;"  and 

Whereas,  it  has  been  aptly  said  that  "until  time  shall  be  no  more,  will  a 
test  of  the  progress,  which  our  race  has  made  in  wisdom  and  virtue,  be  derived 
from  the  veneration  paid  to  the  immortal  name  of  Washington ,"  now  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  first,  that  we  approve  and  endorse  the  proposed  erection  of  a  Masonic 
Temple  as  a  memorial  to  George  Washington,  under  the  auspices  of  Alexandria- 
Washington  Lodge,  No.  22,  A.  F.  &  A.  AI.,  of  Alexandria,  Virginia. 

Second,  that  we  do  now  organize  the  Washington  Masonic  Memorial  Associ- 
ation according  to  the  following  plan : 

I. — Name. 

The  name  of  this  Association  shall  be  "The  Washington  Masonic  Memorial 
Association." 

IL — Object. 

The  object  of  this  Association  shall  be  to  assist  in  the  erection  of  a  suitable 
Masonic  Memorial  to  George  Washington,  in  the  form  of  a  Temple  in  the  city  of 
Alexandria,  Virginia,  provided  that  at  least  one  floor  therein  be  set  apart  forever 
as  a  Memorial  Hall  to  be  under  the  control  of  the  several  Grand  Jurisdictions  in 
the  United  States  of  America. 

in. — MEi'BERSHIP. 

The  active  members  of  this  Association  shall  be  composed  of  the  Grand 
Masters  of  the  several  Grand  Jurisdictions  of  the  United  States  of  America,  who 
shall  identify  themselves  herewith,  and  one  properly  accredited  representative  from 
each  Grand  Jurisdiction,  chosen  in  such  manner  and  for  such  time  as  it  may  pre- 
scribe. 

Fourth,  That  we  pledge  our  earnest  support  to  this  commendable  under- 
taking, and  that  all  Grand  Masters  are  earnestly  requested  to  call  the  same  to  the 
attention  of  the  Lodges  within  their  several  jurisdictions,  and  urge  upon  them  their 
hearty  co-operation  and  assistance. 

Done  in  the  city  of  Alexandria,  Virginia,  on  the  twenty-second  day  of  Feb- 
ruary, A.  D.  1910. 


WASHINGTON   MASONIC   MEMORIAl,   ASSOCIATION.  333 

The  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted  and  the  time  ap- 
pointed for  permanent  organization,  February  22,  191 1,  after  which 
these  signatures  were  attached : 

Lawrence  H.  Lee,  Grand  Master  of  Alabama. 

Oscar  Lawler,  Past  Grand  Master  of  California. 

F.  A.  Verplank,  Grand  Master  of  Connecticut. 

Thomas  J.  Day,  Grand  Master  of  Delaware. 

George  C.  Ober,  Grand  ISIaster  of  District  of  Columbia. 

Henry  Banks,  Grand  Master  of  Georgia. 

Delmar  D.  Darrah,  D.  G.  M.  of  Illinois. 

John  H.  Cowles,  Grand  Master  of  Kentucky. 

Thomas  J.  Shryock,  Grand  Master  of  Maryland. 

Allton  H.  Sherman,  D.  G.  M.  of  New  Jersey. 

James  R.  Johnson,  Grand  Master  of  South  Carolina. 

James  D.  Richardson,  Supreme  Commander,  Southern  Jurisdiction  A.A.S.  R., 

P.  G.  M.  of  Tennessee. 
Wm.  H.  Nichols,  P.  G.  M.  of  Texas,  representing  T.  C.  Yantis,  G.  M.  of  Texas. 
Henry  H.  Ross,  Grand  Secretary,  representing  the  Grand  Master  of  Vermont. 
Wm.  B.  McChesney,  Grand  Master  of  Virginia. 
Henry  E.  Bumham,  P.  G.  M.  of  New  Hampshire. 
Frank  Wells  Clarke,  Grand  Master  of  West  Virginia. 
Wm.  S.  Linton,  for  Arthur  M.  Hume,  Grand  Master  of  Michigan. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  there  were  present  on  this  occasion  a 
number  of  distinguished  members  of  the  Order  as  spectators  and 
guests,  among  whom  were  the  Honorable  Wm.  H.  Mann,  Governor 
of  the  Commonwealth  of  Virginia,  and  the  Honorable  Jacob  M. 
Dickinson,  Secretary  of  War. 

On  May  10,  19 10,  Grand  Master  McChesney  sent  this  circular 
letter  to  the  Masons  of  the  United  States  accompanied  by  a  pros- 
pectus containing  a  synopsis  of  the  plan : 

Staunton,  Va.,  May  7th,  igio. 
To  THE  Mj^sons  of  the  United  St.a.tes: 

In  compliance  with  an  invitation  extended  by  Alexandria- Washington  Lodge, 
No.  22,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Alexandria,  Va.,  I  had,  on  February  22nd,  1910,  the 
pleasure  of  attending,  and  the  distinguished  honor  of  presiding  over  a  meeting 
called  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  National  Association  to  assist  in  erecting  a 
memorial  to  Washington,  the  Mason,  at  Alexandria,  Virginia.  There  assembled 
eighteen  duly  accredited  representatives  of  Grand  Lodges  of  the  United  States, 
who  were  enthusiastic  and  proceeded  at  once  to  formulate  a  plan  for  the  organiza- 
tion, as  is  fully  set  forth  in  this  prospectus.  You  will  observe  that  the  Association 
is  to  be  national  in  its  character;  every  Grand  Jurisdiction  standing  on  an  equal 
footing  in  the  Memorial  Association,  with  equal  rights  and  privileges. 


334  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

As  Grand  Master  of  Masons  in  Virginia,  I  fully  endorse  the  movement  and 
will  render  any  assistance  in  my  power  to  make  it  a  success  and  worthy  of  our 
illustrious  brother,  George  Washington,  while  it  is  expressly  understood  that  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia  will  take  her  place  when  the  Memorial  Association  is 
perfected,  and  will  neither  receive  nor  expect  special  rights,  meeting  as  always  on 
the  level.  This  movement,  one  so  long  delayed,  will,  I  believe,  appeal  to  every 
member  of  the  Craft,  and  I  heartily  commend  it  to  every  Grand  Lodge  and  to  every 
individual  Mason  as  worthy  of  favorable  consideration. 
Faithfully  and  fraternally  yours, 

William  B.  McChesney, 

Grand  Master. 

Pursuant  to  the  agreement  of  February  22,  1910,  the  meeting 
for  organizing  the  permanent  association  was  held  February  2 1  and 
22,  1911.  This  session,  Uke  that  of  1910,  was  congregated  and  pre- 
sided over  by  Most  Worshipful  William  B.  McChesney,  Grand  Master 
of  Masons  in  Virginia.  On  the  conclusion  of  the  opening  ceremonies, 
the  Chair  ordered  the  roll-call  by  states,  and  the  following  repre- 
sentatives responded : 

A.  B.  Ashley,  G.  M.  of  Illinois;  Henry  H.  Ross,  G.  Secy,  of  Vermont;  Thomas 
J.  Day,  P.  G.  M.  of  Delaware;  John  H.  Cowles,  P.  G.  M.  of  Kentucky;  James  R. 
Johnson,  G.  M.  of  South  Carolina;  F.  E.  Harrison,  P.  G.  M.  of  South  Carolina; 
Wm.  B.  McChesney,  G.  M.  of  Viginia;  John  J.  Hull,  G.  M.  of  North  Dakota; 
Wyndham  Stokes,  G.  M.  of  West  Virginia;  W.  H.  L.  Odell,  P.  D.  G.  M.  of  Massa- 
chusetts; Henry  Banks,  P.  G.  M.  of  Georgia;  M.  J.  Hull,  P.  G.  M.  of  Nebraska; 
William  L.  Andrews,  D.  G.  M.  of  Virginia;  Senator  Geo.  E.  Chamberlain,  repre- 
senting G.  M.  of  Oregon;  Hon.  W.  R.  Ellis,  representing  Grand  Lodge  of  Oregon; 
J.  H.  McLeary,  representing  G.  M.  of  Porto  Rico;  R.  T.  W.  Duke,  Jr.,  P.  G.  M.  of 
Virginia;  Arthur  H.  Armington,  P.  G.  M.  of  Rhode  Island;  Robert  R.  Burnam, 
G.  M.  of  Kentucky;  Robert  C.  Stockton,  representative  of  Kentucky;  Randolph 
B.  Chapman,  G.  M.  of  Connecticut;  F.  W.  Havens,  Grand  Secy,  of  Connecticut; 
Richard  N.  Hackett,  G.  M.  of  North  Carolina;  G.  Roscoe  Swift,  G.  M.  of  Michigan; 
James  E.  Dillon,  D.  G.  M.  of  Michigan;  Lawrence  H.  Lee,  G.  M.  of  Alabama; 
Geo.  A.  Beauchamp  of  Alabama;  A.  B.  McGafley,  G.  M.  of  Colorado;  Henry  L. 
Ballou,  G.  M.  of  Vermont;  Alexander  A.  Sharp,  G.  M.  of  Kansas;  Hon.  Samuel 
Pasco,  representing  G.  M.  of  Florida;  Thos.  J.  Shryock,  G.  M.  of  Maryland; 
Julius  F.  Sachse  of  Pennsylvania;  John  Albert  Blake,  P.  G.  M.  of  Massachusetts. 

Immediately  after  roll-call  the  Chair,  on  motion,  appointed  a 
Committee  on  Constitution,  consisting  of: 

Jas.  R.  Johnson  of  South  Carolina,  Chairman;  John  Albert  Blake  of  Massa- 
chusetts, A.  H.  Ashley  of  Illinois,  Lawrence  H.  Lee  of  Alabama,  John  J.  Hull  of 
North  Dakota,  Robert  R.  Burnam  of  Kentucky,  Henry  Banks  of  Georgia,  R.  T.  W. 
Duke  of  Virginia,  W.  R.  Ellis  of  Oregon. 


GEORGE  L.SCHOONOVER, 

P.  DEP.  G.M.OFIOWA,3"V.PRE5. 


MELVIN  M.JOHNSON, 
RG.M.OFMASS  4^"V.PRES 


PRESIDENT  AND  VICE-PRESIDENT  OF  THE  .MASONIC  MEMORIAL  ASSOCIATION. 


WASHINGTON   MASONIC   MEMORIAL   ASSOCIATION.  335 

The  Committee  retired  and  in  due  time  reported  the  result  of  its 
labors:  adopting  the  preamble  agreed  upon  in  1910,  they  changed 
the  name  of  the  Association  to  "The  George  Washington  Masonic 
National  Memorial  Association,"  and  set  forth  in  an  instrument, 
containing  fourteen  sections,  the  framework  for  a  constitution  in 
which  the  objects  are  given  as  follows : 

First:  The  object  of  this  Association  shall  be  the  collection  of  a  fund  to  erect 
and  maintain  a  suitable  Masonic  memorial  to  George  Washington,  in  the  form  of 
a  temple  in  the  city  of  Alexandria,  Virginia,  provided  that  at  least  one  floor  therein 
be  set  apart  forever  as  a  Memorial  Hall,  to  be  under  the  control  of  the  several  Grand 
Jurisdictions  in  the  United  States  of  America,  members  of  this  Association. 

Second:  To  provide  a  place  where  the  several  Grand  Jurisdictions,  members 
of  this  Association,  may  perpetuate,  in  imperishable  form,  the  memory  and  achieve- 
ments of  the  men  whose  distinguished  services,  zealous  attachments  and  unswerving 
fidelity  to  the  principles  of  our  institution  merit  particular  and  lasting  regard ;  to 
create,  foster  and  diffuse  a  more  intimate  fraternal  spirit,  understanding  and  inter- 
course between  the  several  Grand  Jmisdictions  and  Sovereign  Grand  Bodies 
throughout  the  United  States  and  her  insular  possessions,  members  of  this  Associ- 
ation; to  cherish,  maintain  and  extend  the  wholesome  influence  and  example  of 
our  illustrious  dead. 

Immediately  after  the  adoption  of  the  preliminary  constitution, 
the  council  proceeded  with  the  election  of  officers  for  the  permanent 
Association.  On  motion  the  rules  were  suspended,  and  Most  Wor- 
shipful Thomas  J.  Shryock,  Grand  Master  of  Masons  in  Maryland, 
nominated  by  Past  Grand  Master  Judge  R.  T.  W.  Duke,  Jr.,  repre- 
sentative of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia,  was  unanimously  elected 
and  installed  as  the  First  President  of  The  George  Washington 
Masonic  National  Memorial  Association.  Accepting  the  position 
with  its  grave  responsibilities,  General  Shryock  gave  assurance  of 
his  high  appreciation  of  the  unusual  honor  conferred  upon  him, 
pledging  his  best  efforts  to  the  interest  of  the  undertaking,  urging 
active  co-operation  in  every  Grand  Jurisdiction  to  further  the  interest 
and  make  the  movement  a  success,  after  which  the  following  were 
nominated  and  elected  for  a  term  of  two  years: 

James  M.  Lamberton,  S.  G.  D.  of  Pennsylvania,  First  Vice-President;  James 
R.  Johnson,  P.  G.  M.  of  South  Carolina,  Second  Vice-President;  Albert  B.  McGaffey, 
P.  G.  M.  of  Colorado,  Third  Vice-President;  Albert  B.  Ashley,  P.  G.  M.  of  Illinois, 
Fourth  Vice-President;  Lawrence  H.  Lee,  P  G.  M.  of  Alabama,  Secretary;  Dana 
J.  Flanders,  P.  G.  M.  of  Massachusetts,  Treasurer;  and  the  following  were  ap- 
pointed to  the  subordinate  offices  by  the  President:  Rev.  Wm.  J.  Morton,  Rector 
Christ  Church,  Chaplain;  H.  K.  Field,  G.J.  D.  of  Virginia,  and  J.  Edward  Shinn,  P. 
M.  of  Alexandria-Washington  Lodge,  Stewards ;  with  George  W.  Zachary,  TUer  and 
Custodian  of  Alexandria- Washington  Lodge,  Sentinel. 


336  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

The  convention  concluded  its  labors  at  twelve  o'clock  on  the 
twenty-second,  when,  after  luncheon,  the  distinguished  delegation 
was  taken  to  ]\Iount  Vernon  by  special  trains.  Returning  about  foin- 
o 'clock  P.  M.,  Alexandria- Washington  Lodge  was  opened  in  due  and 
ancient  form  and  the  Master  IMason's  Degree  conferred  on  William  H. 
Pettus,  a  theological  student,  by  G.  Roscoe  Swift,  Grand  IMaster  of 
Masons  in  Michigan,  and  a  degree  team  from  his  Grand  Jurisdic- 
tion, President  Taft,  with  his  aide,  the  late  lamented  Major  Archi- 
bald Butt,  arriving  about  5.30  P.  M.,  was  received  in  the  Lodge  and 
presented  from  the  East.  He  remained  an  interested  observer  of  the 
work,  expressing  his  extreme  gratification  and  pleasure  in  being  per- 
mitted to  be  present  at  such  an  important  function  and  later  declared 
with  enthusiasm  that  he  had  enjoyed  ever}^  minute  of  the  exercises. 

The  ceremonies  closed  with  a  banquet  and  celebration  of  the 
natal  day  of  General  George  Washington  by  Alexandria- Washington 
Lodge,  which  the  Association  attended  in  a  body,  and  it  was  in  his 
address  at  this  function  that  the  President  gave  his  first  endorsement 
to  The  George  Washington  Masonic  National  Memorial  Association, 
an  extract  from  which  is  published  herewith: 

SPEECH  OF  HONORABLE  WILLIAM  H.  TAFT 

Worshipful  Master  and  my  Brethren,  every  President  of  the  United  States 
feels  heavy  upon  him  the  bm-den  of  following  George  Washington  and  being  in  his 
place,  and  making  himself  in  some  slight  way  worthy  of  the  First  President,  the 
Father  of  his  Country.  To  me,  to  come  here  in  the  Lodge,  which  knew  him  as  a 
Master,  as  a  fellow  Mason,  the  occasion  is  full  of  pleasure,  because  no  honor  can 
be  greater  than  to  have  a  direct  association  with  that  great  man,  who,  in  every  sense, 
wasthefounder  of  thisrepublicandwhoexhibited, as  President, asman  and  as  Mason, 
all  the  principles  of  morahty,  of  patriotism  and  of  religion  that  we  like  to  think  is 
our  highest  ideal.  I  thank  you  for  giving  me  the  opportunity,  Worshipful  Master 
and  my  Brethren,  of  being  here  to  take  part  in  your  ceremonies  and  testify  to  my 
profound  veneration  for  the  great  man  whose  name  you  perpetuate  and  with  whose 
memory  this  Lodge  is  so  intimately  associated. 

...  I  am  delighted  to  be  here  and  to  honor  with  you  the  memory  of  that 
greatest  of  Masons,  George  Washington.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  take  part  in  the  move- 
ment, which  is  to  give  him  a  memorial  here  in  Alexandria  where  he  enjoyed  the 
associations  of  Masonry,  to  erect  a  memorial  that  I  hope  will  be  as  dignified  and 
satisfactory  as  the  monument  that  creeps  into  every  landscape,  unasked,  within 
miles  of  our  capital  city. 

=  .  .  It  is  a  pleasure  to  come  here  on  this  sacred  soil  of  Alexandria  that  felt 
his  tread,  to  come  into  this  Lodge  and  have  the  strong  personal  feeling  that  you 
cannot  help  having  when  you  handle  the  trowel  that  he  handled  and  when  you 
come  imder  the  influence  of  the  same  atmosphere  that  the  Father  of  our  Country 


WASHINGTON   MASONIC   MEMORIAL   ASSOCIATION.  337 

breathed.  And  so  it  is  that  it  gives  me  the  greatest  pleasure  as  President  of  the 
United  States,  proud  to  succeed  that  long  line  of  great  men  with  the  greatest  as  the 
first,  to  be  here  and  to  testify  both  in  my  character  as  an  indi\'idual  and  as  tempo- 
rary President  of  the  United  States,  to  the  profound  respect  that  we  all  feel  for  him 
as  a  fellow  Mason,  as  a  citizen,  as  a  patriot  and  as  our  father.    .    .    . 

It  is  impossible  to  give  a  full  list  of  all  the  distinguished  guests 
present  or  to  enumerate  their  expressions  of  approval  of  the  memorial 
undertaking.  From  every  part  of  our  great  nation  and  from  almost 
every  calling  and  profession  in  Ufe,  the  most  distinguished  represen- 
tatives of  the  Craft  assembled  to  lay  the  foundation  for  a  permanent 
organization  which  will  stand  not  only  as  an  eloquent  testimonial  of 
our  veneration  for  Washington  and  his  Masonic  compeers,  but  to 
the  energy  and  zeal  of  the  present  generation  of  Masons,  assimilating 
the  thought  and  welding  in  closer  union  and  fraternal  bondage  every 
section  of  our  glorious  republic.  No  comparison  with  any  previous 
effort  of  the  institution  can  be  made  for  the  sufficient  reason  that 
none  such  has  ever  existed.  Otu: -anticipation  of  the  glorious  result 
of  these  labors  is  probably  best  expressed  in  the  words  of  Grand 
Master  McChesney,  when  he  voiced  the  hope  that  "the  new-bom 
institution  would  be  as  lasting  and  as  beneficent  as  the  name  and 
life  of  him  we  seek  to  honor." 

Marking  an  era  in  the  history  of  American  Masonry,  the  future 
must  produce  a  greater  and  more  representative  assembly  of  Masonic 
dignitaries  than  gathered  to  organize  this  Association.  The  past 
has  undoubtedly  failed  to  do  so  up  to  this  time.  The  character  of 
the  men  who  have  been  selected  as  leaders  of  the  new  Association 
is  an  eloquent  testimonial  of  the  importance  of  the  undertaking,  and 
their  acceptance  of  the  duties  and  responsibilities  should  be  ample 
endorsement  to  the  Fraternity  at  large.  But  if  further  proof  be 
needed,  the  fact  that  the  President  of  the  United  States  esteemed 
it  "a  pleasure  and  a  privilege"  to  lay  down  the  manifold  duties  and 
responsibilities  of  his  great  office  and  mingle  with  the  Fraternity, 
expressing  in  eloquent  terms  his  unqualified  approval  of  the  proposi- 
tion and  earnestly  commending  it  to  the  favorable  consideration  and 
support  of  all  good  Masons,  should  certainly  be  sufficient  to  satisfy 
the  most  skeptical  mind  that  the  movement  inaugurated  to  erect  a 
memorial  to  Washington,  the  Mason,  and  to  create  a  National 
Masonic  Association  must  and  will  rank  second  to  none  in  the  history 
of  the  institution  of  this  or  any  other  country  in  this  or  any  other  age_ 

In  the  absence  of  General  Thomas  J.  Shryock  on  account  of 


338  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

illness,  the  second  annual  meeting  of  the  Association  was  called  to 
order  at  ten  o'clock  A.  M.,  Wednesday,  February  21,  1912,  by  the 
First  Vice-President,  Right  Worshipful  James  M.  Lamberton,  Senior 
Grand  Deacon  of  Pennyslvania. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  opening  ceremonies,  Most  Worshipful 
William  L.  Andrews,  Grand  Master  of  Virginia,  in  a  well-timed  and 
sympathetic  address,  welcomed  the  Association  to  the  Jurisdiction 
of  Virginia,  concluding  as  follows : 

On  behalf  of  The  George  Washington  Masonic  National  Memorial  Association, 
which  you  are  gathered  here  to  represent,  I  bid  you  welcome,  and  may  the  Divine 
Spirit  that  rules  the  nations  enter  into  your  councils  and  aid  you  in  all  your  deliber- 
ations and  determinations  for  the  advancement  of  that  great  and  noble  work  which 
has  been  undertaken  by  this  Association;  that  peace  and  harmony  will  prevail 
goes  without  saying,  for  where  among  Masons  do  not  peace  and  harmony  prevail, 
and  where  so  many  illustrious  and  noble  Masons,  so  many  whose  shoulders  have 
worn  the  insignia  of  the  Order,  naught  but  harmony  could  prevail,  and  so,  my 
Brethren,  I  again  bid  you  welcome  and  pray  for  your  labors,  the  wisdom  and  strength 
that  the  Supreme  Architect  of  the  Universe  can  give  you. 

After  reading  the  minutes,  the  roll  was  called  by  states  and  the  rep- 
resentatives recorded  below  responded  to  the  call  of  their  jurisdiction 

Lawrence  H.  Lee,  P.  G.  M.  of  Alabama;  Justen  Holden,  G.  M.  of  Connecticut; 
George  A.  Kies,  P.  G.  M.  of  Connecticut;  Frank  W.  Havens,  P.  G.  M.  of  Connec- 
ticut; Thos.  J.  Day,  P.  G.  M.  of  Delaware;  J.  Claude  Keiper,  P.  G.  M.,  and  Ben 
W.  Murch,  G.  M.,  of  District  of  Columbia;  Geo.  M.  Napier,  G.  M.,  andT.  H. 
Jeffries,  P.  G.  M.,  of  Georgia;  A.  B.  Ashley,  P.  G.  M.  of  Illinois;  Martin  A.  Morri- 
son, representative  from  Indiana;  Jno.  H.  Cowles,  P.  G.  M.  of  Kentucky;  Jas.  E. 
Dillon,  G.  M.,  and  Francis  D.  Clarke,  representative  of  Michigan;  John  Albert 
Blake,  P.  G.  M.,  and  Wm.  H.  L.  Odell,  D.D.G.  M.,  of  Massachusetts;  Wm.  Boothe 
Price,  representative  of  Maryland;  J.  T.  Carter,  representative  from  New  Hamp- 
shire; Wm.  B.  McKoy,  G.  M.,  and  John  W.  Cotton,  P.  G.  M.,  of  North  Carolina; 
Wm.  L.  Gorgas,  G.M.,  Jas.  M.  Lamberton,  G.  S.  D.,  and  Julius  F.  Sachse,  of  Penn- 
sylvania;  Cornelius  B.  Parker,  representative  of  Porto  Rico;  Wendell  R.  Davis, 
Acting  G.  M.,  and  Arthur  H.  Armington,  representative  of  Rhode  Island;  Jas.  R. 
Johnson,  P.  G.  M.,  and  F.  E.  Harrison,  P.  G.  M.,  of  South  Carolina;  Henry  L. 
Ballou,  G.  M.  of  Vermont;  William  L.  Andrews,  G.  M.,  and  Wm.  B.  McChesney, 
P.  G.  M.,  of  Virginia. 

At  the  conclusion  of  roll-call,  the  acting  president  appointed  the 
following  committees: 

Committee  op  Revision  of  Constitution:  Jas.  R.  Johnson,  of  South  Caro- 
lina, Chairman;  John  Albert  Blake,  of  Massachusetts;  Albert  B.  Ashley,  of  Illinois 
William  L.  Gorgas,  of  Pennsylvania ;  George  M.  Napier,  of  Georgia ;  John  H.  Cowles, 
of  Kentucky;  William  B.  McChesney,  of  Virginia;  James  E.  Dillon,  of  Michigan. 

Committee  on  By-Laws  :  J.  Claude  Keiper,  of  District  of  Columbia,  Chair- 


Henry  banks 


OFFICERS  AND  COMMITTEEMEN  OF  THE  MEMORIAL  ASSOCIATION. 


WASHINGTON    MASONIC   MEMORIAL   ASSOCIATION.  339 

man;  William  Boothe  Price,  of  Maryland ;  William  L.  Andrews,  of  Virginia ;  Justen 
Holden,  of  Connecticut. 

These  committees,  by  resolution,  were  merged  into  one  under  the  title  of 
Committee  on  Constitution  and  By-Laws. 

Committee  on  Seal:  Henry  L.  Ballou,  of  Vermont;  William  B.  McKoy,  of 
North  Carolina;  C.  B.  Parker, of  Porto  Rico;  Wendell  R.  Davis,  of  Rhode  Island; 
Ben  W.  Murch,  of  District  of  Columbia. 

Committee  on  Rules  and  Order  of  Business  :  Thomas  J.  Day,  of  Delaware ; 
George  A.  Kies.of  Connecticut;  John  W.  Cotton,  of  North  Carolina;  T.  H.  Jeffries, 
of  Georgia;  Wm.  H.  L.  Odell,  of  Massachusetts;  F.  E.  Harrison,  of  South  Carolina; 
Francis  D.  Clarke,  of  Michigan. 

Immediately  after  appointment,  the  several  committees  retired 
and  began  consideration  of  the  subjects  assigned,  and  late  in  the 
evening  the  Committee  on  Constitution  and  By-Laws  announced 
its  readiness  to  report,  followed  in  due  time  by  the  other  committees. 
Chairman  Johnson,  in  presenting  the  revised  constitution  to  the 
Convention,  announced  that  the  joint  committee  had  decided  to 
change  the  title  of  the  document  from  "Constitution"  to  "Constitu- 
tion and  By-Laws."  The  instrument  was  then  taken  up  and  con- 
sidered by  sections,  finally  approved  as  a  whole,  and  laid  over  for 
ratification  in  19 13. 

The  new  instrument  contains  fifteen  sections.  Approving  the 
original  preamble  it  provides  in  the  second  section  for  the  time  and 
place  of  meetings,  "which  shall  be  in  Alexandria,  Virginia,  on  the 
2ist  and  22nd  of  February  of  each  year."  The  third  section  gives 
the  objects,  which  were  not  changed;  the  fourth  deals  with  the 
membership ;  the  fifth  provides  for  the  number  and  election  of  officers ; 
the  sixth  defines  the  committees ;  the  seventh,  the  method  of  election 
of  officers;  the  eighth,  the  time  and  place  of  installation;  the  ninth, 
method  and  qualification  of  voting ;  tenth,  the  duties  of  the  officers ; 
eleventh,  title  to  the  property;  twelfth,  expulsion  of  members; 
thirteenth,  amendments  to  the  Constitution;  fourteenth,  memorial 
fund,  how  held,  etc.,  and  the  fifteenth  relates  to  the  seal. 

The  seal  adopted  was  in  conformity  to  the  design  of  the  Com- 
mittee and  consists  of  the  shield  in  the  coat  of  arms  of  George 
Washington,  the  white  space  under  the  stars  containing  the  letter 
"G"  in  the  center  of  the  square  and  compasses;  the  lower  white 
space  bearing  the  date  of  organization,  19 10.  Under  the  shield  are 
the  words,  "In  Memoriam  Perpetuam,"  the  whole  surrounded  by  a 
double  circle  containing  the  name  of  the  Association. 

The  order  of  business  agreed  upon  was  as  follows :  Call  to  order ; 
invocation ;  report  of  committee  on  credentials ;  calling  roU  of  mem- 


340  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 

bers ;  opening  address ;  reading  minutes  of  the  last  annual  and  inter- 
mediate meetings ;  report  of  president ;  report  of  secretary ;  report  of 
treasurer;  report  of  executive  committee;  report  of  Finance  Commit- 
tee; report  of  Committee  on  Legislation;  unfinished  business;  new 
business ;  election  of  officers ;  installation  of  officers ;  appointment  of 
standing  committees. 

The  session  of  191 2  was  a  busy  one.  The  discussion  incident 
to  the  revision  of  the  constitution  and  adoption  of  the  seal  and  the 
regular  order  of  business  occupied  a  greater  portion  of  the  time, 
while  other  subjects  relating  to  the  organization,  such  as  appointment 
of  standing  committees,  and  the  incidental  business  kept  the  repre- 
sentatives with  necessary  intermissions  constantly  employed  from 
ten  o'clock  A.  M.  on  the  twenty-first  until  twelve  M.  on  the  twenty- 
second.  At  two  P.  M.,  President  Taft,  with  his  aide,  Major  Butt, 
arrived  and  was  formally  received  in  Alexandria- Washington  Lodge 
room  where  he  held  an  impromptu  reception. 

In  response  to  Brother  Lamberton's  introduction,  the  President 
said: 

My  Brethren:  My  Brother  Lamberton,  under  whose  guidance  I  served 
four  years  at  Yale  and  from  whom  I  have  since  received  my  lessons  in  Masonry, 
enjoins  me  that  I  must  say  something  to  indicate  my  presence  here.  I  am  glad  to 
say  how  appropriate  it  seems  to  me,  as  a  humble  Mason,  that  we  should  on  the  22nd 
of  February,  the  birthday  of  George  Washington,  gather  as  Masons  to  testify  to 
our  appreciation  of  his  relation  to  our  great  body,  and  our  belief  that  in  the  great 
traits  of  his  character  he  illustrated  the  foundation  principles  of  our  Order  and  our 
Association.  I  am  glad  to  be  here  to  take  part  in  this  ceremony,  to  testify  how 
deep  my  conviction  is.  I  thank  you  for  the  opportunity  for  the  moment  of  presiding 
over  you,  though  I  always  feel,  when  I  come  into  a  Masonic  Lodge,  that  before 
I  get  through  I  will  violate  some  of  the  rules  of  the  Order  in  some  way.   .    .    . 

At  the  conclusion  of  President  Taft's  remarks.  Most  Worshipful 
George  M.  Napier  of  Georgia  offered  this  preamble  and  resolution: 

Whereas,  Brother  William  Howard  Taft,  whose  unfeigned  interest  in  the 
purposes  of  The  George  Washington  Masonic  National  Memorial  Association  to 
erect  and  maintain  a  Masonic  Memorial  to  Brother  George  Washington,  charter 
Master  of  Alexandria  Lodge,  No.  22,  A.  F.  and  A.  M.,  in  the  form  of  a  temple  in 
the  city  of  Alexandria,  Virginia — "a  memorial  as  dignified  as  the  monument  that 
creeps  into  every  landscape,  unasked,  within  miles  of  our  national  capital;"  and 
whose  distinguished  services,  zealous  attachment  and  unswerving  fidelity  to  the 
principles  of  our  Institution,  merit  distinct  appreciation,  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  Brother  William  Howard  Taft,  President  of  the  United  States, 
be  and  is  hereby  constituted  Patron  of  The  George  Washington  Masonic  National 
Memorial  Association  and  that  a  suitable  certificate  be  prepared  and  properly 
signed,  and  presented  to  our  Patron. 


WMB.M^f^'NLE^Y 


-^^ 


WILLIAM   L.ANDREWS 


WAYS  AXn  MEANS  CCnJMlTTEE  OF  THE  .ME.MURIAL  ASSOCIATION". 


WASHINGTON   MASONIC   MEMORIAL   ASSOCIATION.  34I 

The  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted  by  a  rising  vote. 

The  second  annual  convention  then,  after  prayer  by  the  Reverend 
Harry  Alarvdn  Canter  of  Alexandria,  adjourned,  and  President  Taft, 
with  his  aide,  accompanied  the  Association  on  their  annual  pilgrim- 
age to  Mount  Vernon  to  place  a  wreath  upon  the  tomb  of  Wash- 
ington. In  the  evening,  the  Association,  as  on  the  former  occasion, 
attended  the  annual  celebration  of  the  birthday  of  General  Wash- 
ington by  Alexandria-Washington  Lodge,  on  which  occasion  enter- 
taining addresses  were  made  by  Senator  Claude  Swanson  and 
Representatives  Carlin  of  Virginia  and  Collier  of  Mississippi.  Thus 
closed  the  second  annual  session  of  The  George  Washington  Ma- 
sonic National  Memorial  Association,  with  attendant  functions. 

Few,  if  any,  legislative  bodies  have  ever  considered  problems  of 
state  with  more  diligent,  dignified  and  thoughtful  care  than  was 
given  to  this  subject  by  the  representatives  of  the  Grand  Lodges 
present  and  participating  in  the  organization  of  this,  the  first  National 
Masonic  Association  in  the  history  of  the  American  Order. 

Its  objects  are  noble,  its  possibilities  for  good  and  wholesome 
influence,  amongst  the  Fratemty  at  large,  unexceUed  by  any  fraternal 
association  of  modem  times.  Still,  its  future  usefulness  depends 
entirely  upon  the  zeal  and  energy  of  those  entrusted  with  its  guidance 
through  its  formative  period.  If  its  founders  exert  their  influence 
and  put  forth  their  best  efforts  to  achieve  the  great  objects  of  the 
undertaking,  as  defined  in  its  constitution,  failure  cannot  and  will 
not  menace  its  existence  in  the  near  or  distant  future. 

National  in  scope  and  representative  in  character,  it  accords 
special  privileges  to  none  and  equal  rights  to  all  Grand  Jurisdictions, 
Sovereign  or  Supreme  Grand  Bodies,  who  officially  identify  them- 
selves with  the  organization. 

The  Alemorial  Building  is  to  be  in  the  form  of  a  Temple,  one 
floor  of  which  is  to  be  set  apart  forever  as  a  Memorial  or  Hall  of 
Fame,  to  be  under  the  control  of  the  several  Grand  Jurisdictions  of 
the  United  States  of  America,  and  each  Grand  Jurisdiction,  Sovereign 
or  Supreme  Grand  Body,  members  of  the  Association,  is  to  be  allotted 
space  in  this  Hall  of  Fame  upon  which  to  erect  symbols  of  com- 
memoration to  its  illustrious  dead. 

As  shown  in  its  basic  law  the  Association  is  to  be  composed  of 
the  Grand  Masters  of  the  several  Grand  Lodges;  the  Grand  High 
Priest  of  the  General  Grand  Chapter  of  the  United  States  of  America; 
the  Grand  High  Priest  of  any  Grand  Chapter  not  owing  allegiance 
thereto ;  the  Grand  Master  of  the  Grand  Council  of  Royal  and  Select 


342 


WASHINGTON  THS   MAN  AND  THE)   MASON. 


Masters;  the  Grand  Master  of  the  Grand  Encampment  of  the  United 
States  and  the  Sovereign  Grand  Commanders  of  the  Supreme  Councils 
Scottish  Rite  Masons,  and  one  properly  accredited  representative 
from  each  of  these  Grand  Bodies,  who  shall  associate  themselves 
herewith,  chosen  for  such  term  and  in  such  manner  as  said  bodies 
may  provide;  provided,  however,  that  any  person  elected  to  any 
oflSce  of  the  Association  shall  continue  to  be  a  member  of  the  Asso- 
ciation during  his  term  of  office,  as  will  all  others  who  officially 
participated  in  the  meetings  of  1910,  191 1  and  19 12. 

Without  trespass  upon  the  rights  or  prerogatives  of  any  Grand 
Master,  Sovereign  or  Supreme  Grand  Body,  it  binds  in  a  conferential 
sense  every  rite  and  element  of  the  diverging  branches  of  the  Fra- 
ternity for  the  good  and  glory  of  all,  and  brings  together  in  annual 
conference  the  representative  men  of  these  branches  without  the 
slightest  conflict  or  prejudice  to  any  constituent  member. 

The  Masonic  Fraternity  of  the  United  States  is  to-day  composed 
of  innumerable  branches  which  emanate  from  a  common  parent,  the 
Blue  Lodge.  With  few  ties  to  bind  and  no  link  to  connect,  save  that 
found  in  the  first  degrees,  which  to  many  are  soon  forgotten  in  the 
glamor  and  pageant  of  higher  stations,  every  jurisdiction  and  every 
branch  in  every  jurisdiction  of  the  York  Rite  presents  a  variety  of 
rituahstic  work,  which  tends  to  confuse  and  mystify  the  humble 
votary  rather  than  elevate  and  adorn  the  institution.  The  visiting 
Craftsman  to  foreign  jurisdictions  is  occasionally  subjected  to  uimec- 
essary  disappointments  through  ignorance  of  the  law  and  local 
requirements,  and  many  of  these  seemingly  unnecessary  differences 
could  be  overcome,  particularly  in  the  Blue  Lodge,  by  a  system  of 
uniform  examination,  to  the  great  profit  and  convenience  of  all 
concerned.  While  the  newly  created  Memorial  Association  has  not 
as  yet  considered  any  system  of  policy  for  the  future,  it  is  fair  to 
assume  that,  when  the  formative  period  is  over,  subjects  of  this 
nature  will  be  carefuUy  considered  with  a  view  to  recommending 
remedial  measures  to  the  powers  which  legislate  for  the  Fraternity 
in  the  several  jurisdictions. 

The  world  is  beginning  to  recognize  the  intrinsic  worth  and 
potency  of  conferential  bodies,  and  the  necessity  for  a  fraternal 
organization  of  the  nature  of  The  George  Washington  Masonic 
National  Memorial  Association  can  no  longer  be  a  subject  of  doubt 
even  to  the  most  conservative.  This  is  amply  attested  by  the 
unusual  support  given  the  movement  in  the  endorsement  of  the 
great  Masonic  powers  of  America. 


2 

O 

CO 

< 


H 

o 

H 

O 

s 

to 

< 


o 

< 

o 

?; 
W 

w 

H 


APPENDIX 


/ 


71    lA^  9-1^: 


.7  :^&^'7''C^  (^i9zz^^^.^^- 


/"■      .-'7 


^2>e/:>i^  oy^//C^  y^t-y^^y^e.-^ 


-3  ^eyz^iz. 


o^:i^jZ,  /A^!2^ti_- 


y    ^-^, 


.y^<:r:^^^^:' 


X^-CT"'"/!.^  i,£--»'<^ 


«;:..v^;.?  L. 


vC 


/c?-?^-  ,7-.-  'C-'a 


^^.y- 


-it. 


^i^'*^ 


-VJ 


■  f^ 


1  <a_-^  ei^xA  '■'■ 


/: 


-3  ouyC»'i't~iL^^ 


'^^ 


,^'2>^£/^ 


'A.'Z.'::i-^  ■^ir^^yytj!^  clc-z-t,.^o ,  e^^-^-^r^^-M-  c^  o-x/^u <lJLai<.^ - 


•'^-£_^    L-*P<^ry..^i^*:'<>~' 


'.^  /- 


'a>x... 


i^i^i:^^  ^-<^  e-'t.^^^  cst-'t-Z.  ,^wi..--t..  <2_o<?i'  ii-o.  <2ja^iiy«ii_.£f..'2!e.<i' 


I  i 


•'.I? 


-vLe-  ^Z^jZ.^ 


k,^  c-  A,/.c--x.O^  ; 


1  -<■ 

/-^r-  ■  Ji  ■  ^      '  \  ■  .4-     /  -  0  -^ 


-^''L_<s<..-«::ti».2^I£4£'-  •-- 


pf-  /  ■' 


</^H.c^-<;x^  yth^y^,:3^'-j^  ■'■.c.<.z.^-c.-^.^  A-<L.yf^^ejc^  .y/iu^u..c^/t-^j 


<^c.:aJ-<^.>1CaCu. 


"  / 

/-  ••'       ■       ■'       /-^         -/—      ■-/---'       ''-/^     '■-  '-^ 

i 


'>iZ-^.-'A- 


^ 


|.i,,'    <£>-«-t,.."-'&  ^:,.-;X- ..iJ'<,.c^.  /:^..-t;..'/l 


.4-7' 

i3rrT;;).3i-,.... 


^  „  4/         '  '  .-■■''-■''?  /-* 


.0  -,f..' 


.dt.-;/-^--';-  -.- 


y  I  ex.. 


0... 


•-.s'^'i'y^      ..-J  1  •  1,.,';-''   ,•'■■'-••■!■■'  ,.-,       .,?   ., 

/-<;!i-J-t.^-i,  >'/.„<3/-.j:.c__i^'.:^r<.....  ;?^..,.t:r.i    o-iT-^J  ; L'rt3*_,'Z..-^.--     o-":?-^  e:..>'v.     .:J~;?;A_.e...'"l_.' 

"^--      i-s^    _         


,.-•  s  .•:.•  iy     \ '        •  .f  ^    /    ■.  /     1 


■^  ■  .::t^'' 


..:..-:i;''..;:'>'~<:3--?:.<.^..<::r<i.. 'Z-e.-A-c'  •^--i-'   ^'^    •  ■<:-''fc--;?*-»:>-^-^,i:v.^  ^r"i'?'.''L-u,r- ,Ati,:/l...J 


*■      o 


^  <:.<"•.,  ..  ".A.^.'-'.ic-.:-*-._.£<:-c:.v:?L    pL-CSi'S:- J-<2^-j.-  /<^.£.-- ■=r-<;i--Ci^i2.t:P^C 

,.-,      ^  ,_■;-'  .    _     ,.j)-       ,. '  ^.  »-■'       .-,     ^ 

,:T';'-<;5r..-..-^''A-  ,  .i?c-'A-9  iPi-.^/i.^i.  i^-tCS>  ,c:z^^  <:^,<^i--^..-x^^x:L.  . <:J.<'!!^>t^ 


CJS?^^-y.(~^-L.    y<C<h^<Z.  '^S2-^::i-^i>'   is? 


C'  /  .y   • 


. — ;' 


^;^7^y^-     ■-■K^M  ■    '^ 


Q^'y^c     ■■■z^..- 


yi 


^V- 


fte^M- 


c:^^^€^ 


C.<y'?>^  - 


/  J^ 


;2jrTS-zJi:^ 


<2jtz.^9^ 


.~:X^:>X^^' 


n.^-..^ 


i^Zy^^  c^u^cr^  <^~L.'^.  :^^!<-^  ^■';5:^';H.^t„_,ev  .^'.■^-  ^-?L-<£J.- 
X^<^i:^^'?-~&:::i>  ;>3.=.-»-t-<3-^^  -•^•'?--t-<:::c.-s^-^  ^^u-.-=..'X-;  ^•A-v'/ui.- 


/ 


r/' 


;••  (Z.^-!  <Lyf  C^A 


fy^yr. 


.tL.jO'^i^   /  . 


O^-yf 


^*%*..'^^ 


.-^^ 


i:?*^^ 


fi^^eX-^^S^  i_^^iys  <=^^/Xa^ 


c:a.-c/' 


^ 

k 


^^^Y^/^A^ 


•=^^"1^^ 


"■rv 


:^C?^^ri.<f/.  &j 


.<^<SjI2^  <iX^ 


;^^^3t,.^    .^^tis-o  <:^<r'i2l3 


J^y/^. 


Vx-e^n. 


li?_-<l^-i^     w 


//:3? 


•/ 


^-';2_  c^^£e.^-Co 


'£:k--:;i^  ■■^?y-<^3-ja.  <C<v 


.■-I  ■} 


.'-a.  a. 


r-yCilk,-:!-    '^r^/^cJ7^-^<:-^<^  r^^^o~cy=^  f^ 


<^j?-r:<?!i^ /Ja!^' 


•'-;3'£2 


■J  CL^^-eL<.^ 


vl 


^ 


(2-    'i^/i'^ 


''^.^fl^f  Aci:^&:yr,>ye£  ^.^Z^^y^^^z....:^^.  ^a^^^^i^ 


y<:>-p:^..J3L.  csr?^^.^  ^,r:>L^^,j  £^^  A^^Si^a^K^G/T^^^c^y:^ 

^y^y^^-n-^  <^^2.<?^e.,^jL^  J^^i^^^^e^  /^^'■:k-J''1^^'S2^  ,^5*,_ja.i^a««iy 


^4"  ^  Xi'-a  <::^o~  /^tSi^  cJ^^a^  ^a^^K.j2^/^'^,^<^<-^  -■ 

£1;2:'/CAu2_  f^h-^cy^K-e^    <?Uy(-<- tS^Y-^    <£!«C<:-<L-^-  X^O    •VH^'vi!.   /•^•.:'7^ 
/■^  -g>    <^^:St^^<-~<)    ^7'25«--;a»-_£-<— <iU:.;.     41.<?K_-3   yt^i^^f  ^''^y^'jt-  v--,-''-*-!^  X 


A 


j;^4  o^-'-^^^^'-^^^  /^.,^<=^:^<:^  ^^p<Jzf^^^  ,  /6t 


^:?^ 


^<:Ayp  > 


-/la- 


-A, 


y /  .  _^    " 

e^Z^Xi'ii  c^'^i-^-CJ-sZ^tX-CLe.    ^■,C<Y':>^''^^^''-^-  '^^^'^r^'C^Uy-As-/^ 


.^..^'-~ 


r:><a^. 


<3^'  ir/:x.-<^^-^^-^i/^-X^_ 


/2 


^u-f' 


/y^s- 


y>^    y?^^5S<_^t_  ^^t.'^^^^^O^Cci      ^»--i3VJ5    ^^-f£2<i^-y^ 


-y    y^- 


:y^'- 


,■««■-<-■  iC- 


•iv^ 


y^yiK.CLJ2^  pC^i-<^ja_  'Sj^J^jCv-.sa.Li;  .<a_<ei:3    ^..'^X^  /'Xxi-./o<z 


'-^^^/^^^^t  f?ip?^AcrAD 


.r    .."} 


,  ■  ■''  ^y 


/ 


yO  'Cx.--^^ — ^-y-^  y^    <c:^c;:?~P5»v~j£'_.^  <x:^^.yx^<^;>^.- 


^a:.^^.5    <a..^,^j-xr-i-^sz,  ^<:.ac.<!!::*s.ja>-:z^  ^  J'^i^Za*-.^  rf<2.i--i--<2_,  ^^.^ixja^;^ 

'' ./e^.<x2^<2-^^  '^,,sax:a_'a_tr    ^,;^=t..^  J'ci.^^.^jz^  ^<yik.^L^  /:^^li^r^j 


/<^X^-^)  <yf'^P:>^.jz.  £^^/A  ^>^y^  ^S^:9'^&^^^qA^ 

.^Iso-o.^?^^  <:^c^  ;?^'  ^'<iAt3^  ^p^.^z^i,.^x..jz.  A^^c^^c^.^  Scc' 


V/^Lj^^ti^i^-^ 


^^^   Jt-     /^  .    .n  ^i^/z-t^  c^  J^^ije,--^:^^-^^'^-^:^-''^-^  <-^ 


j/i^-:h^  Vo  :;5?^-y  ■/tj2^/Gi^-^  x^z-w-^-^-s  //^/-.c-?^^ 

^^  C>l>-^  Jo ^r^  e^  i.-<>'yu  ^  MJ^^  <=^^-  <2.jz.^a-^'-  ^  '^'^--s-  ■^^ 


^i^-j^y 


%-.: 


'P^ 


'^^-^S    ^-^^  y^^J&:Z^.  <:7X^J^^.<^L^y^  <^^^Cx^^ 


"fOr-ZtQ/T^ 


iA.^-?-^  erycLy/^..,'-:kj' ^:%»'-7^;  c^-o^^A^^ .y^[^ cJ^/^LiuJ 

ii>:?«L->Ve<2,  >&*s«->'-2.^  or7Z/A:f2~  /<>-*<--a.-«'X--'V-c^«''Z-i:r.,.^5c<£;v^ 


<!^^e«a._3«iLe_ 


i| 


'*■! 


1      I 

I" 


f^ 


>^~c<- 


'£iZ/T^<h^^-  y^rts    '^^^PC'^kjS^ 


.  ■(2t>rz.y/X.  a*-'.  <2.^^ i<^iS^/:-r 


■2/^- 


r.<l.a^ 


l:^iSi2-<C.<2..iai_«<:<2.|    '^•f'  ^^^^'  !>?f'-W3c^-;X 


r^. 


i'- 


y  ./_ 


-^ 


^^n^..'  ^J!;U>i:ii?  j?-<r-<l':o-  uT^'^j2^J:s<ua>i£i-<^-ZC<a..^'-?--;''i---^^ 

<p  />  (7     .■■>  ,  .'  »      .  ^?   i::^  / 


■<a'^'^^*ii=-<s*i'<s^<^'^!^^    jj-^T/^iV'';*^^     .a_-.tA,.^^'  '';:^..=>a.-i2- '^Se^.i-^JK- 


9 


'^:^ 

?.-^'^. 


.•>  cu"K-<., :: —  ^-'■■'i2.< ^  .^^_,. y  ^. 

--'  ^/  c--^"  r^--^      ^^^  .-      / 

••■'>--7^L.----  C^^^t^-^-c-i^- /-^zr-z:^^  Q/^^niL<^<h^i2-~^ ,  c^n^f/L  'A-.^zjz/z.s' 

'      -f. ■!■<...  rzS*    (  y   .    .jL_  •  .^ 


'^■^•"-^■"X 


^/^i/; 


.^t: 


_<l^ 


^^/%.<s.--i>^  ^  ^Z^ 


/^J^<.x-L 


.S:P-?- 


/.^t^^^  yi .  .^^^ ,  -  --  ^^ 


/I? 


duz^ 'i-<-^2i^^/X.  /-C^-x--^^'-'- 


^3'.  I. //. 


,'Sa:..<'A<!:.4< 


^-oa^i^J-z-cf     ■'^y^^-^>'7'-rz-jS'  4/ii*2>^,!::^_.2^  xV'.£a--i<;-'<--<i--;?^^ 


*/-^;2iic-2-3  y   .ai.<?._P    Z^^:^^ 


ySt- 


.>i^ 


r^  -^ 


^^u::iyZL^:Hj 


^^/^ 


£^^-  -" 


-'^25^. 


vZ-^, 


>fe'-;>i-   ^1_aJ3    /u<-<:f   A^en^:--^     /yOCi-Z^iCc^  ^,->C-i^A--^^^-eL 


y^.yx 


/•  -:^ .'''■■   ■  '  ■  ,  ;./D 


yc- 


^■ 


:?^3.- 


/ 


/3^j^^;^<.^.:..PY:>   .::Ur/^/d^-^  ^^:>p^.QZ^ 

ilf7l^C<C-y^r-p'--;f^j2..^l,^^^j^^ ^, _^  J-  J 


v*-^. 


dhc<^'£e^--t^  ^l»-vu,^;X^<;i_-^-y  .ix;;!!?^^^^  25~xs».-ci^  Xs.<^..d-^.A- 


Z^r^.-C^^^ 


s-Te^. 


^•>L.  ;5C_^ir-<-J''^ 


<s»-U!/s^ 


Va^ 


^^^    W-ii^-i'-yW-^ 


•  /<■ 


'rlj:2 


^ 


-ji-^.e-  0-^  iit^ 


.--r- 


<su.'t.<^'i,l«.,e^^  "* 


.>fe-t^<2^;j»— tt 


c/L/.LJ^^^^;i^^^^^^^<^^  ^/^<^  <:P^>^c/Jz:^  i^x^^l:- 


;?Q>-^ '^i'-^-^e-<y^  •<«<; 


•»     .:>  .-1 


^tSf^  At^^  Z:!^..#v_i2-    Z<...'-i2!,-<i:i-"t;-<dV^  .ix-^^^^f  ^X-a^-A-^*^' 


-■.  i^ 


c-c  •-  ^  i*--x.- 


/O  -^ 


LifZ-cxI^y  9j2.^iL^.o^y^<^^-i-d'-arj'^ 


'■<-tf2.,C-  -  ;■•• 


■  y*"^  £.^^t~-^'<^y 


'"'--'•  7^2^) 


.;-?--;4.<#c.  csi-xa:: V,  ^r)  -,.  .^•-  ^j^-u»-  civ  j. 


:'3.!'?V'    .■■'^.  ^ 


vJ/-«i.<:i, 


>40lP 


.  /2:jL^2c.' 


V'-iS-siV- 


<^^.--.' 


.■^^i-tsr-;^. . 

.J.i^rZ.2     . 

.::Z,.;>'w-i)     ^v.. 

■  c-^-^  -i^S-^  1 

^yr:y , 

'^'£.,<!!!c<~^,ix^i:h~„  i.:< 

"   /..fa^-^zy. 

<  ..u^  y:-. 

,         ■  --:.f 


■•?:_. a  4?,.    fit?. 


:'''5j.,/<:^^.iAy<;3^^!2.. 


.'  '^A;-'S'''.?'*"aI*'i-.^,;i,-<«S^"j3Sty 


■  C    v.-''''.!:-<::^.-i;-3)  ^;?-'.-^2>.:30i!./.^ 


.--•  ..    -yl-...  ^  i 


!>(■>  J^.r>-->- 


'2<a-:;»u.;^_ /'idt;^.^^.^.  ■c..-i/'<ic!.^.5^_..ci 


€ 

.'"? 


■  CL.c>'~z*.x?..^Uoa./}:^ 


l2...  ,.'-i5CX!'t^-j2_-  //A-c'- 


-^^i.  / 


-<./-^ 


/O      y  ^   -/^    -^  ^■^^'-^'^        ■■■■'        //^' 


^/>L_<::.-?l^v 


y 


,/ 


i!'^  -» 


,  .  ^..-^,  -^_  ^_,  .  _  .  _  _    ^  .^^ .. . -  ,  -    J-- _^^<a-3  ./o 


'J 


7^ 


y^^i^^ji^  .^05^^  ^''/^^^  <2^^^^^^  ML  x^^f^^ 

6:^.^^  ^^.py^^  ..^t^fi^  c^^  .a^^  /^  ^i-2^  ^^/^  ^;;9^ 


^7 


■>^-^:/2- /^  £j2^7^ 


..--/^ 


2  ^ 


/ 


<iSt.--5U5/'<2-i^>L<2.^-Ii-«£2-<i^ 


li~e^e^-X^:/^>'7^-c>f'0^^-'J<Ci>^ 


-"L 


s^-:^>^-^ 


-i^i—ii.  ^.■'>w«-r--<:. 


£y!L.^^^0~^/^2^n. 


^i5»:,v>Uv- 


^^-^-^i-^i-  /vGl..  ^y^f^J^p^-^L.^  ^^.ii/^c  ilus,  ^;^x  .2:^--s  iSL^il 


■      T   I— — 


^-Jtx^j^u-'Z-.cr' ^  -iTd^Pw?  cii-e^Jia-, 


/^'!_<'^X_.-C    ^^--  <xi.^ 


'VG/^^tf:^  ^-^i^^^J^  )^...i^.^ 


f/:' 


v.,^ 

y  ■r^'^ 


■  A' 


yS3    \:.*-  <3-  ^';?^C-^' %.^ij^JZ^  >^A_*='.^-i— e-   ^ -><_»<., V   ij-o.'' 


/■■' 


■2.(2-3  ^-A-^z^  ::<)>c-vJc:i.. 


'X^^'^lyj/ 


-<d  <2_  <r7r:^ 


J"  c-i?-:^^^£l 


i_-iA-^   «il. 


J?   ~  •  "*  -''7  ,4  X  '  - 


.^? 


..^" 


•^Vd: 


f.iXy/fti^^Ayr^A'^^^ 


'll^  r;:#'iltfl_.'i ao-^^^e— o^-Os*-*'   i^ 


iX/^Vi' 


.^^ 


^^^ 


•C..'' 


~'rx2LCt'>'  — 


.^2 


-Q    < 


.r.-£:,.:r -<:-.■!: 


..:r.. 


•Vi_.st..  iti    i:a....<:^<L. 


^^  /' 


r-'-^-^-y 


,;7 


'  ?        .■••■• 


J' 


^  J  ^  ..1      [  '     . 


>i_^;;r'  iZ....^ 


y  -        y   .V-  -A 

^-.iS-  ..:^,  -i^      2>-'     :  I-  rj  t.  -y*. 


•'i-<!~4^<:r'    ^.-;.y   ^.y^.  ^...Z.    ^ 


^r^-     <•■>   ;A...  ■y--'i/i....t:l..     /''j;i:...».... 


■l-;<::a... ,:3lC, I  ■i«...<3-....<'.  •,,<;_. 


>'/       ^y--<  ,'•      ,...-, 


f 


X*:a.--:::^'ic'  <::t^'P^J^  ^G-hz^  ^^l^c..^  '^i^-^.)~£^. 


c^^''^^^/X-^^-<;K^/€fX^  \^' 


"3^ 


«!!!« 


SCHEDULE 

of  property  comprehended  in  the  foregoing  Will,  directed  to  be  sold,  and  some  of  it  conditionally 
is  sold — with  descriptive  and  explanatory  notes  thereto. 


Acres. 

Loudon  CO.  Difficult  Run, 300 

Loudoun  and  Faquier — 

Ashby's  Bent, 2,481 

Chattin's  Run, 885 

Berkley,  S.  fork  of  BuUskin, 1,600 

Head  of  Evan's  m., 453 

In  Wormley's  line, 183 

2,236 

Frederick,  bought  from  Mercer, 571 

Hampshire,  on  Potomac  river,  above  B,     .        .        .        .  240 

Gloucester,  on  North-river, 400 

Nansemond,  near  Suffolk,  one-third  of  1,1 19  acres,  .        .  373 

Great  Dismal  Swamp,  my  dividend  thereof,       .        .        .  .... 

Ohio  River,  Round  Bottom, 587 

Little  Kanhawa, 2,314 

Sixteen  miles  lower  down, 2,448 

Opposite  Big  Bent, 4,395 


Price. 


9.774 


lod. 
8  . 


24,810'! 
7,080/ 


20 
20 

15 
about 
8 
about 


Dollars. 
10 


Dollars. 
6,666a 


44,720c 

ii,42cxi 

3,600  <s 

3,600/ 

2,9841: 
2o,oooA 


97,440» 


Great  Kanhawa. 


Acres. 


Near  the  mouth-west, .... 

East  side  above 10,990 

Mouth  of  Cole  river 7,276 

Opposite  thereto,  2,9501 2,000 

Burning  Spring,   125-     / 3,075 


Price- 


Dollars. 


200,000jfc 


Maryland. 


Charles  County, 600  6d.                      3,600/ 

Montgomery  ditto, 519  12                       6,228m 

Pennsylvanla. 

Great  Meadows, 234  6                        i,404» 

Nsw  York. 

Mohawk  river, about  1,000  6                       6,0000 

345 


346  WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 

North- West  Territory. 

Acres.  Price.  Dollars. 

On  Little  Miami 839  ....  .... 

Ditto, 977  

Ditto, 1.235  

3,051  5  15.251/' 

Kentucky. 

Rough  Creek 3.000  

Ditto  adjoining, 2,000  

5,000  2  10,0002 

LOTS,  VIZ. 

City  op  Washington. 

Two  near  the  capitol,  square  634,  cost  963  dollars,  and  with  buildings, 
Nos.  5,  12,  13,  and  14,  the  three  last  water  lots  on  the  Eastern  Branch,  in  square  667, 
containing  together,  34,438  square  feet,  at  12  cents, 

Alexandria. 

Corner  of  Pitt  and  Prince  Streets,  half  an  acre  laid  out  into  buildings,  three  or  four  of 
which  are  let  on  ground  rent  at  three  dollars  per  foot, 

Winchester. 

A  lot  in  the  town,  of  half  an  acre,  and  another  in  the  commons,  of  about  six  acres, 
supposed, 

Bath  or  Warm  Springs. 

Two  well  situated,  and  had  buildings  to  the  amount  of  £150, 

STOCK- 
UNITED  States. 

^  per  cent., 3.74^ 

Ditto  deferred,    1,873-1 2,500 

Three  per  cent.,  2,946-  J 

Potomac  Company. 

Twenty-four  shares,  cost  each  looi  I.  sterling, 

James  River  Company. 

Five  shares,  each  cost  100  dollars, 50oy 


i5,ooor 
4.132J 


4,ooo< 


400M 


Soot) 


6,246a; 


io,666x 


APPENDIX.  347 

Bank  of  Columbia. 

One  hundred  and  seventy  shares,  cost  S40  each, 6,8ooz 

Bank  of  Alexandria. 

Besides  twenty  shares  to  the  free  school — 5, 1,000 

Stock  Living,  viz.: 

One  covering  horse,  five  carriage  horses,  four  riding  ditto,  six  brood  mares,  20  working 
horses  and  mares,  2  covering  jacks,  and  3  young  ones;  10  she  asses,  42  working 
mules,  IS  younger  ones,  329  head  of  homed  cattle,  640  head  of  sheep,  and  a  large 
stock  of  hogs,  the  precise  number  unknown.  Manager  has  estimated  this  live 
stock  at  7,000/.,  but  I  shall  set  it  down,  in  order  to  make  a  round  sum,  at        .        .  15,653 


Aggregate  amoimt, 530,000 

Notes. 

cThis  tract  for  the  size  of  it,  is  valuable,  more  for  its  situation  than  the  quality  of  its  soil, 
though  that  is  good  for  farming;  with  a  considerable  proportion  of  ground  that  might  very  easily 
be  improved  into  meadow.  It  lies  on  the  great  road  from  the  city  of  Washington,  Alexandria, 
and  George-Town,  to  Leesburgh  and  Winchester,  at  Difficult  Bridge,  nineteen  miles  from  Alex- 
andria, less  from  the  city  of  George-Town,  and  not  more  than  three  from  Matildaville,  at  the 
great  falls  of  Potomac.  There  is  a  valuable  seat  on  the  premises,  and  the  whole  is  conditionally 
sold  for  the  sum  annexed  in  the  schedule. 

6  What  the  selling  prices  of  lands  in  the  vicinity  of  these  two  tracts  are,  I  know  not;  but  com- 
pared with  those  above  the  ridge,  and  others  below  them,  the  value  annexed  will  appear  moderate; 
a  less  one  would  not  obtain  them  from  me. 

c  The  surrounding  land  not  superior  in  soil,  situation,  or  properties  of  any  sort,  sells  ctirrently 
at  from  twenty  to  thirty  dollars  an  acre.     The  lowest  price  is  affixed  to  these. 

dThe  observations  made  in  the  last  note,  apply  equally  to  this  tract,  being  in  the  vicinity  of 
them,  and  of  similar  quality,  although  it  lies  in  another  county. 

eThis  tract,  though  small,  is  extremely  valuable.  It  lies  on  Potomac  river,  about  twelve 
miles  above  the  town  of  Bath  (or  Warm  Springs),  and  is  in  the  shape  of  a  horse-shoe,  the  river 
running  almost  around  it.  Two  hundred  acres  of  it  are  rich  low  grounds,  with  a  great  abundance 
of  the  largest  and  finest  walnut  trees,  which,  with  the  produce  of  the  soil,  might  (by  means  of  the 
improved  navigation  of  the  Potomac),  be  brought  to  a  shipping  port  with  more  ease,  and  at  a 
smaller  expense,  than  that  which  is  transported  thirty  miles  only  by  land. 

/This  tract  is  of  second  rate  Gloucester  low  grounds.  It  has  no  improvements  thereon,  but 
lies  on  navigable  water,  abounding  in  fish  and  oysters.  It  was  received  in  payment  of  a  debt 
(carrj'ing  interest),  and  valued  in  the  year  1789,  by  an  impartial  gentleman,  at  800/. 

N.  B. — It  has  lately  been  sold,  and  there  is  due  thereon,  a  balance  equal  to  what  is  annexed 
in  the  schedule. 

g  These  373  acres  are  the  third  part  of  undivided  purchases  made  by  the  deceased  Fielding 
Lewis,  Thos.  Walker,  and  myself,  on  full  conviction  that  they  would  become  valuable.  The  land 
lies  on  the  road  from  Suffolk  to  Norfolk,  touches  (if  I  am  not  mistaken),  some  part  of  the  navigable 
water  of  Nansemond  river.  The  rich  Dismal  Swamp  is  capable  of  great  improvement;  and,  from 
its  situation  must  become  extremely  valuable. 

h  This  is  an  undivided  interest  which  I  hold  in  the  great  Dismal  Swamp  Company,  containing 
about  4,000  acres,  with,  my  part  of  the  plantation  and  stock  thereon,  belonging  to  the  company  in 
the  said  swamp. 

•  These  several  tracts  of  land  are  of  the  first  quality  on  the  Ohio  river,  in  the  parts  where  they 
are  situated,  being  almost,  if  not  altogether,  river  bottoms.     The  smallest  of  these  tracts  is  actually 


348  WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND    THE   MASON. 

sold  at  ten  dollars  an  acre,  but  the  consideration  therefore  not  received.  The  rest  are  equally 
valuable,  and  will  sell  as  high,  especially  that  which  lies  just  below  the  Little  Kanhawa;  and  is 
opposite  to  a  thick  settlement  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  The  four  tracts  have  an  aggregate 
breadth  upon  the  river  of  sixteen  miles,  and  are  bounded  thereby  for  that  distance. 

fe  These  tracts  are  situated  upon  the  great  Kanhawa  river,  and  the  first  four  are  bounded  thereby 
for  more  than  40  miles.  It  is  acknowledged  by  all  who  have  seen  them  (and  of  the  tract  containing 
10,990  acres,  which  I  have  been  on  myself,  I  can  assert),  that  there  is  no  richer  or  more  valuable 
land  in  all  that  region.  They  are  conditionally  sold  for  the  sum  mentioned  in  the  schedvUe,  that 
is,  200,000  dollars,  and  if  the  terms  of  that  sale  are  not  complied  with,  they  will  command  consid- 
erable more.  The  tract,  of  which  the  125  acres  is  a  moiety,  was  taken  up  by  General  Andrew 
Lewis  and  myself,  for,  and  on  account  of  a  bituminous  spring  which  it  contains,  of  so  inflammable 
a  nature  as  to  bum  as  freely  as  spirits,  and  is  nearly  as  difficult  to  extinguish. 

/I  am  but  little  acquainted  with  this  land,  although  I  have  once  been  on  it.  It  was  received 
(many  years  since),  in  discharge  of  a  debt  due  to  me  from  Daniel  Jenifer  Adams,  at  the  value 
annexed  thereto,  and  must  be  worth  more.     It  is  very  level — lies  near  the  river  Potomac. 

TO  This  tract  lies  about  30  miles  above  the  city  of  Washington,  not  far  from  Kittocton.  It  is 
good  farming  land,  and  by  those  who  are  well  acquainted  with  it,  I  am  informed  that  it  would  sell 
at  twelve  or  fifteen  dollars  per  acre. 

nThis  land  is  valuable  on  account  of  its  local  situation  and  other  properties.  It  affords  an 
exceeding  good  stand  on  Braddock's  road  from  Fort  Cumberland  to  Pittsburgh;  and,  besides  a 
fertile  soil,  possesses  a  large  quantity  of  natural  meadow,  fit  for  the  scythe.  It  is  distinguished  by 
the  appellation  of  the  Great  Meadows,  where  the  first  action  with  the  French,  in  the  year  1754, 
was  fought. 

oThis  is  the  moiety  of  about  2,000  acres  which  remains  unsold,  of  6,071  acres  on  the  Mohawk 
river  (Montgomery  county),  in  a  patent  granted  to  Daniel  Coxe,  in  the  township  of  Cosborough 
and  Carolina,  as  will  appear  by  deed,  from  Marinus  Willet  and  wife,  to  George  Clinton  (late 
governor  of  New  York),  and  myself.  The  latter  sales  have  been  at  six  dollars  an  acre,  and  what 
remains  unsold  will  fetch  that  or  more. 

pThe  quality  of  these  lands  and  their  situation,  may  be  known  by  the  surveyor's  certificates, 
which  are  filed  along  with  the  patents.  They  lie  in  the  vicinity  of  Cincinnati;  one  tract  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Little  Miami;  another  seven  and  the  third  ten  miles  up  the  same.  I  have  been 
informed  that  they  will  readily  command  more  than  they  are  estimated  at. 

gFor  the  description  of  those  tracts  in  detail,  see  Gen.  Spotswood's  letters,  filed  with  the  other 
papers  relating  to  them.  Besides  the  general  good  quality  of  the  land,  there  is  a  valuable  bank  of 
iron  ore  thereon,  which,  when  the  settlement  becomes  more  populous  (and  settlers  are  moving  that 
way  very  fast),  will  be  found  very  valuable,  as  the  Rough  Creek,  a  branch  of  Green  river,  affords 
ample  water  for  furnaces  and  forges. 

LOTS,  VIZ. 
City  of  Washington. 

rThe  lots  near  the  capitol,  in  square  634,  cost  me  963  dollars  only;  but  in  this  price  I  was 
favoured,  on  condition  that  I  should  build  two  brick  houses  three  stories  high  each;  without  this 
reduction  the  selling  prices  of  these  lots  would  have  cost  me  about  i  ,350  dollars.  These  lots, 
with  the  buildings  on  them  when  completed,  will  stand  me  in  15,000  dollars  at  least. 

iLots  Nos.  5,  12,  14  and  14,  on  the  Eastern  branch,  are  advantageously  situated  on  the  water; 
and  although  many  lots  much  less  convenient  have  sold  a  great  deal  higher,  I  will  rate  these  at  12 
cents  the  square  foot  only. 

Alexandria. 

/For  this  lot,  though  unimproved,  I  have  refused  3,500  dollars.  It  has  since  been  laid  off  into 
proper  sized  lots  for  building  on,  three  or  four  of  which  are  let  on  ground  rent  for  ever,  at  three 
dollars  a  foot  on  the  street;  and  this  price  is  asked  for  both  fronts  on  Pitt  and  Prince  streets 


APPENDIX.  349 

Wdjcecester. 

tt  As  neither  the  lot  in  the  town  or  common  have  any  improvements  on  them,  it  is  not  easy  to 
fix  a  price;  but  as  both  are  well  situated,  it  is  presumed  the  price  annexed  to  them  in  the  schediJe 
is  a  reasonable  valuation. 

Bath. 

»The  lots  in  Bath  (two  adjoining),  cost  me  to  the  best  cf  my  recollection  between  50  and  60 
pounds,  20  years  ago;  and  the  buildings  thereon  150/.  more.  Whether  property  there  has  in- 
creased or  decreased  in  its  value,  and  in  what  condition  the  houses  are,  I  am  ignorant — but  suppose 
they  are  not  valued  too  high. 

Stock. 

ai  These  are  the  sums  which  are  actually  funded,  and  though  no  more  in  the  aggregate  than 
7,566  dollars,  stand  me  in  at  least  ten  thousand  pounds,  Virginia  money;  being  the  amount  of 
bonded  and  other  debts  due  to  me,  and  discharged  during  the  war,  when  money  had  depreciated  in 
that  rate  and  was  so  settled  by  public  authority. 

xThe  value  armexed  to  these  shares  is  what  they  actually  cost  me,  and  is  the  price  affixed  by 
law;  and  although  the  present  selling  price  is  under  par,  my  ad%'ice  to  the  legatees  (for  whose 
benefit  they  are  intended,  especially  those  who  can  afTord  to  lie  out  of  the  money),  is,  that  each 
should  take  and  hold  one — there  being  a  moral  certainty  of  a  great  and  increasing  profit  arising 
from  them  in  the  course  of  few  year. 

yit  is  supposed  that  the  shares  in  the  James  River  Company  must  also  be  productive;  but 
of  this  I  can  give  no  decided  opinion,  for  want  of  more  accurate  information. 

a  These  are  the  nominal  prices  of  the  shares  in  the  banks  of  Alexandria  and  Columbia;  the 
selling  prices  vary  according  to  circumstances ;  but  as  the  stock  usually  divides  from  eight  to  ten 
per  cent  per  annum,  they  must  be  worth  the  former,  at  least,  so  long  as  the  banks  are  conceived 
to  be  secure,  although  circumstances  may  sometimes  make  them  below  it. 

The  value  of  the  Uve  stock  depends  more  upon  the  quality  than  the  quantity  of  the  different 
species  of  it ;  and  this  again  upon  the  demand  and  judgment  or  fancy  of  purchasers. 

George  Washington. 
Mount  Vernon,  July  9,  1799. 


350 


WASHINGTON   THE    MAN   AND   THE   MASON. 


AN  INVENTORY.  ETC..  OF  ARTICLES  AT  MOUNT  VERNON 

With  their  appraised  value  annexed. 


In  the  New  Room:  D.            C. 

2  Large  looking  Glasses, 200 

4  Silver  plated  lamps, 60 

6  Mahogany  Knife  Cases 100 

2  Side  Boards  on  each  of  which  is  an  Image  &  China  flower  Pot  1 60 

27  Mahogany  Chairs, 270 

2  Candle  Stands, 40           830 

2  Fire  Skreens, ...  40 

2  Elegant  Lustres, 120 

2  large  Gilt  frame  Pictures  representing  falls  of  Rivers,     .        .  160 

4  do  representing  water  Courses 240 

I  do  small  " Likness  of  Gen.  W — n" 100 

1  do  Louis  the  i6th, 50 

2  Prints  "  Death  of  Montgomery" 100 

2  do  "Battles  Bunkers  Hill," 100 

2  do  "  Dead  Soldier," 45           955 

I  likeness  "Saint  John," 15 

I  do  Virg  n  Mary, 15 

4  Small  Prints  ( I  under  each  lamp) 8 

I  Painting  "Moon  light  " 60 

5  China  Jars, 100 

All  the  Images. 100 

I  Matt, 10 

Shovel  ToDgs,  poker  &  fender, 20 

3  round  Stools 6 

Window  Curtains, 100         434 

(2)  In  the  Littlb  PARiouR: 

I  Looking  Glass, 30 

I  Tea  Table, 8 

1  Settee, 15 

10  Windsor  Cha-rs 20 

2  Prints  representing  Storms  at  Sea. 30 

I  do  a  Sea  fight — between  Paul  Jones  of  the  Bon  Homme 

Richard  &  Capt.  Pearson  of  the  Seraphis,         ...  10 

1  do  the  distressed  situation  of  the  Quebec  &c 15 

2  do  I  the  whale  fishery  at  Davies  Streights  &  the  other  the 

Greenland  do 20 

I  Likeness  of  Gen'l  Washington  in  an  Ovolo  frame,       .        .  4 

I  do "  LaFayette,"        . 4 

I  do  Dr.  Franklin, 4 

I  Gilt  frame  of  wrought  work  containing  chickens  in  a  basket .  20 

I  do  The  likeness  of  a  Deer 5 

I  Painted  likeness  of  an  AUoe, 2 

6  others  of  different  Paintings, 12 

1  Carpet, 10 

2  Window  Curtains, 5 

And  Irons.  Shovel,  Tongs  &  fender 6 


D. 


APPENDIX. 


(3)  In  the  Front  Parlour: 

I  Elegant  looking  Glass, 60 

I  Tea  Table,           15 

I  Sopha 70 

I I  Mahogany  Chairs, 99 

3  lamps,  2  with  mirrors 40 

5  China  flower  pots 50 

I  Gilt  frame  the  likeness  of  De  marquess  &  family,        .        .  100 

1  do  Gen'l  Washington 50 

I  do  Mrs.  Washington, 50 

I  do  Mr.  Law, 80 

I  do  Mrs.  Lear, 10 

I  do  Mrs.  W — n's  2  children 50 

I  do  Mrs.  Washington's  daughter  when  grown,       ...  10 
I  Small  Ovolo  Gilt  frame,  containmg  the  likeness  of  W — n 

Custis, 10 

I  do  Geo.  W.  Fayette, 10 

I  do  Gen'l  Washington 10 

I  do  Mrs.  Washington, 10 

I  Gilt  Square  frame,  "  The  Kkeness  of  Miss  Custis,         .        .  10 

1  do  emblematic  of  Gen'l  Washington, 10 

2  Window  Curtains, 16 

I  Carpet, 80 

And  Irons,  Shovel,  Tongs  &c, 8 


D. 


C. 


842 


(4)  In  thB  Dining  Room: 


I  Ovolo  looking  Glass, 15 

I  Mahoganey  Side  board, 23 

1  Tea  Table,            2 

2  Dining  Tables 30 

1  Large  Case, 40 

2  Knife  Cases, 6 

10  Mahoganey  Chairs  at  $5 50 

I  large  gilt  frame  print  the  "  death  of  the  late  Earl  of  Chatham  50 

I  do  Gen'l  Woolfe, 15 

I  do  Penn's  Treaty  with  Indians, 15 

I  do  David  Rittenhouse 5 

I  do  Dr.  Franklin, 10 

I  do  Gen'l  Washington, 7 

I  do  Gen'l  Green, 7 

I  do  America, 6 

I  do  Gen'l  Fayette  on  Conclusion  of  the  late  war,         .        .  7 

I  do  Gen'l  Wayne 7 

I  do  the  Washington  family  of  Moimt  Vernon,       ...  20 

I  do  Alfred  visiting  his  Nobleman, 9 

I  do  do  dividing  his  loaf  with  the  Pilgrim,        ....  9 

I  Carpet, 2 

Window  Curtains, 2 

Water  Pitcher 

And  Irons,  Shovel  &  Tongs  &  Fender, 8 


50 


337 


50 


352 


WASHINGTON   THE   MAN  AND   THE   MASON. 


(5)  In  the  Bed  Room: 


D. 


D.  C. 


I  looking  Glass 10 

I  small  Table, 5 

I  Bed,  Bedstead  &  Mattress, 5° 

4  Mahogaaey  or  Walnut  Chairs 8 

I  large  gilt  frame  "a  battle  fought  by  Cavalry,"     ...  30 

Window  Curtains  &  V.  Blind i 

I  Carpet, 5 

And  Irons,  Shovel,  Tongs  &  Fender, 4 

In  the  Paio-or: 

14  Mahoganey  Chairs  at  $5 7° 

1  Print  "  Diana  deceived  by  Venus," 5 

I  do  "Adonis  carried  off  by  Venus," 5 

I  do  "  The  dancing  Shepherds," 5 

I  do  "Morning," 5 

I  do  "Evening," 8 

I  do  "  a  View  on  the  River  Po  in  Italy," 8 

I  do  "  Constantine's  Arch," 8 

1  do  "Gen'l  Washington," 25 

I  do  "The  Key  of  the  BastUe  with  its  Representation,          .  10 

I  Thermometer, 5 

4  Images  over  the  door, 20 

I  Spye  Glass, 5 


50 
109 


50 


i 


179 

In  the  Closet  Under  the  Stahj  Case: 


1  fire  Skreen, 

I  machine  to  scrape  shoes  on. 


In  the  Piazza: 

30  Windsor  Chairs, 30 

(6)  From  the  Foot  of  the  Stair  Case  to  the  Second  Floor: 


34 


I  Gilt  frame  print  "The  musical  Shepherds," 

I  do  Moonlight, 

I  do  "Thunder  Storm,"  .  .  .  .  , 
I  do  "Battle  of  Bunker  Hill,"  .  .  .  , 
I  do  "  Death  of  Montgomery,"   .        .        .        , 


10 
10 
10 
5 
15 


In  the  Passage  op  the  Second  Floor: 

I  Looking  Glass, 

In  the  First  Room  on  the  Second  Floor: 


54 


I  dressing  Table,    . 
6  Mahoganey  Chairs,    . 
Bed,  Bedstead  &  Curtains, 
Window  Curtains, 
Large  Looking  Glass, 


8 

15 

75 

I 

15 


APPENDIX. 

•   D. 

1  Print  "Gainsborough  forest," 8 

I  do  Nymphs  bathing, 8 

I  do  Hobimas  Village, 6 

1  do  "Storm," 7 

I  Carpet, 5 

Wash  bason  &  Pitcher, i 

And  Irons,  Shovel,  Tongs  &  fender, 5 

In  Thb  Second  Room: 

I  Armed  Chair 6 

Bed,  Bedstead,  Curtains  &  Window  Cm  tains,         ...  70 

I  looking  Glass 15 

I  dressing  Table 8 

Likeness  of  Gen'l  Fayette 50 

I  Carpet, 10 

4  Chairs, 6 

Wash  bason  &  Pitcher, i 

And  Irons,  Shovel  Tongs  &  fender, 4 

(7)  In  The  Third  Room: 

6  Mahoganey  Chairs, 24 

1  Bed,  Bedstead  &  Curtains, 85 

Window  Curtains, 1 

Chest  of  drawers, 15 

1  Looking  Glass 6 

I  wash  stand,  bason  &  bottle 4 

Carpet, 7 

I  Print  "The  Young  Herdsman," 5 

I  do  "The  Flight," 5 

I  do  "Morning," 5 

1  do  "Evening," 5 

And  Irons,  Shovel,  Tongs  &  Fender, 4 

FotJRTH  Room: 

5  Mahoganey  Chairs, 16 

I  Bed,  Bedstead  and  Curtains, 77 

Window  Curtains, 2 

1  Close  Chair, 6 

I  Pine  dressing  Table, i 

Carpet, 10 

I  Large  Looking  Glass, 15 

I  Print  "Sun  rising," 6 

I  do  do  "Setting," 6 

1  do  Cupid's  Pastime, 6 

1  do  "Cottage," 6 

I  do  "Herdsmen," 6 

I  Wash  Bason  &  Pitcher i 

And  Irons,  Shovel,  Tongs  and  fender 4 

(8)  In  the  Small  Room: 

1  Dressing  Table, 3 

I  Wash  Stand, 4 


353 

D.  C. 


154 


170 

50 
50 
50 
50 
50 


50 


163  50 


50 
50 


163         50 


354 


WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 


3  Windsor  Chairs, 

I  Bed  &  Bedstead, 

1  Dressing  Glass, 

Glass  &  China  in  the  China  Closet  up  Stairs  &  that  in  the 
Cellar, 


D. 

C. 

t 

50 

40 

3 

51 


50 


850 


In  thb  Garret: 


Room  No.  t. 


2  Windsor  &  2  old  Mahoganey  chairs, i 

Bed  &  Bedstead 30 

1  SmaU  Mahoganey  Table, 2 

And  Irons,  Shovel,  Tongs  &  fender, i 

No.  2. 

3  Chairs, 2 

2  Tables, 4 

I  Book  Case, 4 

1  Bed,  Bedstead  &  Mattrass 35 

Lumber  Rooms: 

2  Bedsteads, 2 

3  Beds  $40  m., "o 

5  Mattrasses »30 

Parcel  old  Carpets, 3° 

3  Chairs, i 

6  Trunks, 8 

3  Large  Chests 7 

16  Volumes  Journals  of  Congress  &  others,       ....  3 

2  fire  Skreens, 2 

6  hair  Trunks, 6 

1  Leather  do, i 

a  Painted  Presses, 6 

4  Traveling  Chests, 6 

(9) 

2  marble  Tables 25 

I  Straw  matt, 5 

23  Pictures  "Seasons," 23 

I  Bedstead 

5  Small  Trunks 2 

1  Old  Side  Saddle 4 

2  Sets  Platteaux, 'oo 

2  fire  Skreens, 7 

1  Warm'ng  Pan, • 

2  Mahoganey  Stands  for  Skreens, 5 

2  (Surveyors)  machines, 6 

6  Cat  Irons, i 


50 


75 


34 


50 


45 


501 


75 


APPENDIX. 


355 


In  thb  Passage: 


D. 


C. 


D. 


1  Leather  Couch 4 

2  hair  Trunks 5 

I  Arm'd  Chair, 2 

In  the  Room  Mrs.  W — n  Now  Keeps: 

I  Bed,  Bedstead  &  mattrass, 50 

I  Oval  looking  Glass, 10 

I  fender, 2 

And  Irons,  Shovel  &  Tongs, 2 

3  Chairs, 3 

I  Table,           3 

1  Carpet, 3 


73 


In  the  Little  Passage  on  the  Second  Floor  Next  to  Mrs.  W — n's  Old  Room 
3  Pictures  nailed  to  the  house ....  ....  . . . , 


In  Mrs.  W — n's  Old  Room: 


I  Bed,  Bestead  &  Chairs, 
I  Glass,    .... 
1  Dressing  Table,  . 
I  Writing  do, 
I  do  Chair, 
I  Easy  Chair, 


70 

2 
6 

25 

2 

10 


(lo) 


2  Mahoganey  Chairs,    .... 

a  Time  piece, 

I  Chest  of  drawers,  .... 
6  Paintings  of  Mrs.  W — n's  family  $10, 

5  Small  drawings, 

I  Picture  "Countess  of  Huntington," 
I  do  "Gen'l  Knox,"  .... 
I  do  "A  Parson,"  .... 
5  Small  Pictures 


1- 

100 

'.'.'. 

30 

60 

2 

50 

75 

I 

I 

2 

*   •   t 

316 


25 


In  the  Closet. 


2  leather  trunks, 
I  Mahoganey  do,  . 

Wash  bason 

I  Close  S — I, 

And  Irons,  Shovel,  Tongs  Sec, 


20 
20 


50 


51 


5a 


In  the  Study: 


7  Swords  &  I  blade, 
4  Canes,  . 


7  Guns, 

1 1  Spye  Glasses,     . 

I  Tin  canister  drawing  Paper, 


40 

35 

1 10 


50 


356 


WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 


D. 

Trumbuls  Prints, 3^ 

1  Case  Surveyors  Instruments, lo 

I  Traveling  Ink  Case, 3 

1  Globe, 5 

I  box  Contg.  2  Paper  moulds, 25 

I  Picture 3 

I  Chest  of  Tools, 15 

I  Bureau, 7 

I  Dressg.  Table, 4° 

(II) 

I  Tambour  Secretary, 80 

I  Walnut  Table, 5 

I  Copying  press, 3° 

I  Compass-Stafif  &  2  Chairs, 30 

I  Old  Copying  press, 11 

1  Case  of  Dentists, 10 

2  Setts  money  weights, 20 

1  Telescope, 50 

I  Box  Paints  &c 15 

I  Bust  of  General  Washington  in  plaister  from  the  life,         .  100 

I  do  Marble, 5° 

1  Profile  in  plaister, 25 

2  Seals  with  Ivory  handles, 8 

I  Pocket  Compass, 

I  Brass  Level, 10 

I  Japan  box  containing  a  Masons  Apron,          ....  40 

I  Small  case  containing  3  Straw  rings i 

I  Farmers  Luncheon  Box 

I  Silk  Sash  (Military), 20 

I  Velvet  housing  for  a  saddle  &  holsters  trimed  with  silver  lace,  5 

I  Piece  of  Oil  cloth  contg.  orders  of  Masonry,          ...  50 

Some  Indian  presents, 5 


D. 


50 


75 


In  the  Iron  Chest: 


Stock  of  the  U.  S. 

Six  pr  Cent  Stock     3746$ 

Do  Deferred  1873!  ,     , 

,  >  2500 6246 

3  p.  ct  2496J 

Do  of  Bank  of  Columbia 

170  Shares  at  40$, 6800 

Do  Bank  of  Alexandria 

25  Shares  at  200$, 5000 

Do  James  River  company 

5  Shares  at  100$, 500 

Do  Potomac  Company 

24  Shares  at  £100  Stg 10,666 

Cash, 254 

I  Set  of  Shoe  and  knee  buckles  Paste  in  Gold,         .        .        .  250 

1  pr.  Shoe  &  knee  buckles  silver 5 

2  Gold  Cincinnati  Eagles, 30 


fo 


APPENDIX. 


357 


D.        C. 

(12) 

1  Diamond  Eagle  do, 387 

I  Gold  watch,  chain,  2  Seals  &  a  key 175 

I  Compass  in  a  brass  Case,  50 

I  Gold  box  presented  by  the  Corporation  of  New  York,        .  100 

1  Large  Gold  medal  of  Gen'l  W — n, 150 

.  I  Gold  medal  of  St.  Patrick  Society 8 

I  Gold  (or  other  metal)  antient  medal, 2 

I I  Medals  in  case, 50 

I  large  medal  of  Paul  Jones, 4 

3  Other  metal  medals, i 

I  Brass  engraving  of  the  Arms  of  the  U.  States,      ...  10 

I  Pocket  Compass, 5 

I  Bust  in  Plaster  of  Paul  Jones, 20 

I  Case  Instruments,  Parallel  rule  S:c., 17           50 

1  Pocket  Book, 5 

2  Pine  writing  Tables, 4 

I  Circular  Chair 20 

I  box  Military  figures, 2 

1  Brass  model  Cannon, 15 

2  Bi'ass  candlesticks, 2 

2  horse  whips, 4 

I  pr.  Steel  Pistols, 5° 

I  Copper  Wash  bason,  75 

I  Chest  &  its  contents  (Gloves  &c), 100 

I  Fan  Chair 2 

I  Writing  Stand  &  apparatus, 5 

I  (Green)  field  Book 25 

Battahon  flag, 1 

Tongs  Shovel  &  fender, i 

A  Painted  likeness  of  Lawc.  W — n, 10 

I  Oval  Looicing  Glass, 2 

3  pr.  Pistols, 50 


D. 


1920 


D. 


(40)  RIVER  FARM: 

5  Mares "5 

IS  Working  Mules 900 

2  Young  do, 60 

14  Working  Oxen, 140 

2  Oxen  fatting  40D.  i  bull  40 80 

19  Cows, 190 

II  Stears  3  years  old, no 

6  do  2  do 48 

5  Heifers  3  do, 5° 

6  do  2  do, 42 

5  Bull  calves,  , i5 

4  Cow  do, 12 

I I I  Sheep 222 

7  Sows, 42 

I  Boar, 2 

I I  large  Shoats, 38 


75 
C. 


D. 


C. 


50 
50 


358 


WASHINGTON  TH^   MAN   AND  THE   MASON. 


D.  C.  D.  C. 

26  small  do, 26 

8  Plows, 20 

14  pr.  Iron  Traces 14 

8  large  and  small  Trees  for  do, 4 

2  large  harrows, 6 

8  small  do, 16 

9  leading  lines, 90 

3  Ox  carts, 60 

4  Chairs, 4 

1  Horse  Cart  and  Gear, 5 

2  Dutch  fans, 20 

1  Cutting  Box  and  knifes, 3 

1  half  busl.  measure, 5° 

8  Axes 4  

2  Mortising  Axes,  5°  2250  90 


(41) 


20  weeding  and  hilling  hoes, 

2  spades  and  3  shovels  old, 
6  Mattoxa, 
8  Iron  teeth  Rakes, 

3  pr.  mauling  wedges, 
15  pr.  Steel  Yards, 
I  bags  much  worn, 
I  Corn  barrel, 

1  Tierce, 

2  Barrels, 
I  flax  brake,    . 
I  Grindstone, 
I  Roller, 
6  Milk  Pans, 
I  Gun, 
I  old  handsaw, 

3  reap  hooks, 
3  Augers  i  bill  hook  and  a  Gouge, 
1  Driller  or  Plow  to  open  furrows, 


50 

I 

50 

33 

2 

25 

1 

3 

75 

50 

50 

I 

I 

2 

il 

48 

50 

75 

1 

I 

i 


30 


06 


MUDDY  HOLE  FARM: 


2  old  Mares, 7 

6  Mules, 300 

7  Oxen, 7° 

I  Bull 15 

9  Cows, 90 

I  Young  bull  a  year  old, 8 

4  Stears  2  years  old 28 

4  Heifers  do  do, 24 

4  do  I  year  old, 12 

1  Calf 2 

74  Sheep  all  last  years  lambs, 1 1 1 

5  Sows 23 

I  Boar, 2 


692 


APPENDIX. 


359 


(42) 


D. 


D. 


9  large  shoats  (penned), 
25  shoats  and  pigs, 
4  Plows, 

8  pr.  Iron  Traces, 
large  and  small  Trees  for  4  do. 
One  large  harrow, 
I  small  do, 
I  RoUer, 
4  Axes,     . 

10  Mataxes, 

1  Shovel, 

2  Dung  forks, 

1  Dutch  Fan, 
10  hilling  hoes, 
7  bags,     . 

2  mauling  wedges, 
I  Cross  Cut  Saw, 
I  Handsaw,     . 

1  Ox  Cart, 

2  Ox  Chains, 
I  Cutting  Box  and  Knife, 
I  half  bushel  measure, 
I  Grind  Stone, 


18 

17 

3 

8 

2 

3 
I 
I 

2 
5 


10 

2 
I 


15 
2 

2 


50 
25 


10 

50 

50 

75 
75 

50 


50 
75 


60 


DOGUERUN  FARM: 


I  Old  mare,  . 
I  Mare,    . 

1  do  useless,    . 

9  working  mules, 

2  young  do,  . 
15  oxen  at  12$, 
X  Bull,      . 

18  Cows, 

I  Young  Bull, 


5 
40 

495 
80 

180 
15 

180 
7 


(43). 


8  Stears  2  years  old, 56 

17  Heifers  2  do, 119 

6  Heifer  Calves, 21 

6  Bull  do, 21 

I  Young  Calf, 2 

63  Sheep, 126 

5  Plows, 5 

8  pr.  chains, 8 

large  and  small  trees  for  4  pr., 2 

1  large  harrow, 2 

2  small  do, 3 

1  Corn  barrel, 

2  Cultivators, 6 

8  Bags 2 


50 
75 


36o 


WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 


1  Dutch  Fan, 

2  Rollers, 

4  Axes,     .... 
6  Mattocks,     . 
12  Weeding  and  hilling  hoes, 

5  Iron  teeth  Rakes, 

3  Dung  forks, 

4  mauling  wedges, 

1  old  handsaw, 

2  do  augers  and  i  chizel, 
I  Cutting  Box  and  Knife, 
I  Reap  hook, 

1  half  bushel  measure, 

2  Ox  Carts,      . 
4  chains  for  do. 


D. 

8 
6 
I 

2 
2 

I 

2 


20 
4 


C. 


25 


D. 


50 
50 
50 
10 
10 

464 


(44)  UNION  FARM: 


3  working  horses, 75 

I  Brood  Mare, 15 

12  working  Mules, 555 

1  Mule  Colt  2  years  old, 60 

2  Mare  Colts  3  years  old, 60 

2  do  do  I  year  old, 30 

2  horse  do  i  do, 35 

12  Oxen, 108 

20  Cows, 200 

I  Bull 50 

I  Ox  fatting 12 

I  Cow  fatting, 15 

4  Stears  2  years  old, 28 

8      do     I  year  old 40 

8  Heifers  2  years  old, 56 

13  do  I  do, 45 

8  Bull  Calves  near  i  year  old, 24 

3  heifers  do  do 9 

106  Sheep, 212 

At  Ferry — i  Young  horse, 60 

I  Old  do, 12 

II  Sows, 66 

I  Boar 2 

I  Barrow  and  10  Shoats  (Penned), 33 

20  Shoats  and  2  Pigs, 21 

8  Plows, 20 

12  pr.  Iron  Traces, 12 

8  large  and  small  Trees, 4 

I  large  harrow, 2 

(45) 

3  small  harrows, 4 

I  Big  Plow 3 

1  Double  mould  Boars  do, 3 

2  Rollers, 6 


50 


50 


1682 


50 


50 


APPENDIX. 


I  Dutch  fan,   . 

I  Corn  barrel, 

14  Bags  much  worn, 

7  Axes,     . 

I  Mortising  do, 

3  pr.  Mauling  Wedges, 

9  Mattocks,     . 
16  Hilling  hoes, 
I  Pattent  Plow  and  harrow, 
3  Ox  Carts, 
3  Chairs, 

1  Spade,  . 

2  Dung  Forks, 

Distillery 

10  Oxen,  . 
16  Cows, 
2  bull  Calves, 
2  heifer  do, 

!i  Spade, 
4  Augers, 
Parcel  old  Tools 
I  Cart  and  Chain, 
Coopers  Tools  &c., 
hogs  large  and  small  96 
5800  BU.  SUves,    . 


(46)  MANSION  HOUSE: 

5  Sets  of  harness  for  2  horses, 200 

I  Coachee 250 

1  Charriot, 300 

4  Coach  horses, 450 

3  Riding  do 220 

2  Hack  do, 70 

I  Brood  mare, 40 

1  Steed, 100 

2  Covering  Jacks 800 

1  Jack  5  years  old, 250 

2  do   4  do, 450 

1  do    I  do 200 

2  do   Colts, 160 

1 1  Jennets, 95° 

I  do  Colt 30 

10  Working  mules, 750 

9  Cows, 175 

I  Calf 2 

I  Bull, 100 

28  Sheep, 70 

13  lambs, 4 

I  Sow 10 

1  Wagon  and  Gear, 60 

2  Carts  and  Gears 25 


D. 

C. 

12 

75 

3 

50 

3 

50 

25 

2 

25 

4 

50 

2 

66 

4 

60 

3 

50 

67 

D. 


361 

C. 


114 


8S 

128 

30 

30 

50 

50 

so 

12 

8 

18 

180 

33 

58 

532 


38 


33 


362 


WASHINGTON  THE  MAN  AND  THE  MASON. 


3  Cutting  Boxes,    . 
I  half  bus.  Measure, 

1  Measure  1  side  a  Peck  and  the  other  a  J, 
8  axes, 

4  Mattocks,    . 

5  hillinghoes, 
4  mauling  Wedges, 
3  mortising  Axes,  . 
8  Spades, 

2  Old  Shovels, 

3  Iron  Pitch  forks. 


D. 

c. 

12 

10 

50 

4 

2 

84 

I 

50 

75 

4 

25 

50 

D. 


C. 


5692 


77 


(47) 


18  old  bags,     . 

4  wheel  barrows,    . 

I  Scow,    . 

I  large  boat,    . 

I  old  fishing  Boat, 

I  new  do, 

lYoal,     . 


I 
I 

40 
20 

5 
40 

75 


80 


182 


80 


Green  House  Lopt: 


27  Cradles  with  Scythes, 

I  Flax  wheel, 

I  Reel 


5  Flax  Wheels. 
7  Spinning  do, 
140  bus.  Peas  in  all. 


27 
2 
I 
6 
7 

83 


33 


126 


33 


Fish  House: 


65  Empty  hhds, 

4  do  Tierces, 

50  bbls  Shad 

75  do  Herring, 

25  do  Supposed  as  they  are  in  Hhds, 
9  do  with  Lacey  in  Londonn, 

8  do  with  Col.  Gilpin, 

5  do  do  do  shad, 


65 
3 

200 
187 
37 
22 
20 
20 


50 
50 
50 


553 


50 


Barn: 

1  Machine  for  drilling  wheat, 

2  do  for  Com,  .... 
1  do  for  Gathering  Clover  seed, 
I        do       for  raking  up  Wheat, 

A  quantity  of  Timber, 

Do  Pine  Scantling,         .... 

Do  Inch  and  quarter  plank. 


3 
I 

I 

2 

6 

50 

50 


50 


113 


50 


(48) 

1  Turning  laith, 
ID  Axes, 


8 
10 


APPENDIX. 


3  adze,     .... 
25  large  moulding  Plains, 
35  Smaller  do, 

3  Plow  do, 
I  Sprin  do, 
10  Smoothing  do, 

4  Old  Irons,     . 
18  chizels, 

3  Dogs,    . 

1  Guage, 

4  Turning  Gouges, 

2  pt.  Compass, 
6  handsaws,     . 
8  Augers, 
I  Trow,    . 
4  Whip  Saws, 

1  Grindstone, 

3  hammers, 

2  Rulers, 

3  Gauges, 
Shingles, 
I  center  bitt  &c. 
a  Quantity  Brick  in  a  kiln, 
a  quantity  Oyster  Shells, 
Do  Turnip,     . 

(49)  In  The  Paint  Cellar 

Marble  Slab  and  Grinder, 
Shoemakers  tools  in  Shop,   . 

Gardeners'  Tools: 

4  Spades, 
I  Iron  teeth  rakes, 
1  Turning  Knife, 
I  stone  roller, 
3  small  hoes  and  2  large  do 

1  Grubbing  do. 
Reel  and  line, 

2  Watering  pots, 
I  pump  for  Green  house 
I  Wheel  barrow, 

1  Edging  Iron, 

2  pair  Shears, 


D. 

C. 

I 

50 

25 

17 

50 

3 

I 

7 

50 

40 

72 

50 

4 

40 

25 

7 

33 

16 

10 

50 

30 

25 

9 

6 

6 

60 

6 

6 

3 

I 

25 

50 

25 

2 

2 

2 

D. 


25 


363 

C. 


54 


25 


$27,158.34 

The  whole  number  of  negroes  left  by  Genl.  Washington  in  his  own  right  are  as 

follows : 

40  Men 
37  Women 

4  Working  boys 

3        do       Girls 
40  children 


124  Total. 


364  WASHINGTON   THE   MAN    AND    THE    MASON. 

which  Mrs.  Washington  intending  to  liberate  at  the  end  of  the  present  Year,  can 
only  be  valued  for  the  Service  of  the  Working  Negroes  for  one  year. 

(50) 

Amount  brought  forward • $27,158-34 

To  this  sum  must  be  added  the  amount  of  the  following  Articles  which  were  not 
extended  in  the  Inventory  when  the  foregoing  was  case  up.  To  witt: 
Books  omitted  and  a  Theodolite, $80 

Bank  Stock,  United  States  Stock,  Potomac  and  James  River  Shares,       .     $29,212 

Cash  on  Hand 254.70 

Addition  to  Gold  Buckles  and  Knee  buckles, 200.00 

Diaitoond  Eagle, 387 

30.137-70 


$57,296.04 


In  odedience  to  the  annexed  Order  of  Court,  we  the  Subscribers  being  duly  sworn,  having 
viewed  and  appraised  all  the  personal  Property  of  the  late  General  Washington  dec'd,  which  was 
presented  to  us  for  that  purpose,  agreeably  to  the  foregoing  Schedule. 

Thomson  Mason, 
Tobias  Lear, 
Thomas  Peter, 
Wm.  H.  Foote. 

(51) 
At  a  Court  held  for  Fairfax  County  the  2otJbi  day  of  August,  1810. 

This  Inventory  and  appraisement  of  the  Estate  of  George  Washington  deceased  Returned 
and  ordered  to  be  Recorded. 
Teste. 

Wm.  Moss.        Ci 

ABSTRACT  OF  TYTLE  TO  THE  MT.  VERNON  ESTATE 


General  Washington  was  above  all  things  a  practical  man.  Fond  of  retirement  and  averse  to 
superficial  pomp  and  useless  display,  these  admirable  traits  of  his  character  have  helped  to  make 
the  home  of  his  choice  a  place  of  romantic  interest.  Indeed  every  phase  of  its  history  has  its 
peculiar  attraction  and  even  the  chain  of  title  to  the  property,  a  subject  usually  prosy  and  imin- 
teresting  to  the  layman,  affords  a  field  for  inquiry  and  demands  more  than  casual  attention. 

Mount  Vernon  in  its  beautiful  simplicity  is  a  faithful  reflection  of  the  character  of  Wash  ington, 
or  it  might  be  said,  that  the  character  of  Washington  mirrored  the  simple  elegance  of  Mount 
Vernon. 

Like  most  of  the  old  Virginia  estates,  its  title  having  remained  in  one  family  continuously  for 
nearly  two  hundred  years  (1674-185S),  is  easily  traced.  It  was  not  clouded  by  vitiating  incum- 
brances, or  entails  which  so  often  enter  into,  complicate  and  confuse,  but  came  on  down  free 
from  the  immigrant  John  to  the  last  vendee  of  the  name  of  Washington. 

In  view  of  this  it  is  singular,  but  nevertheless  true,  that  most  of  the  abstracts  of  title  to  this 
famous  homestead  given  the  public  and  purporting  to  be  correct  contain  misleading  if  not  serious 
flaws,  errors  or  omissions  sufficient  at  least  to  confuse  and  perplex  the  ordinary  reader.  While 
such  errors  may  be  in  a  sense  harmless  they  are  apt  to,  and  sometimes  do,  lead  credulous  writers 
who  copy  them  in  good  faith  for  the  information  and  enlightenment  of  an  equally  credulous  public, 
into  embarrassing  situations.  Appreciating  this  fact,  we  have  been  especially  careful  in  the 
preparation  of  the  following  abstract  and  cordially  invite  the  reader's  investigation. 


APPENDIX.  365 

Being  located  in  that  particular  section  of  Virginia  known  as  the  Northern  Neck,  the 
Washington  grant  was  comprised  in  that  vast  territory  granted  to  Lords  Culpeper  and  Arlington 
by  Charles  the  II,  in  1674,  and  consequently  came  direct  from  the  crown. 

1.  A  grant  from  Lord  Culpeper  of  five  thousand  acres  of  land,  properly  described  with  metes 
and  bounds,  to  Colonel  Nicholas  Spenser  and  Colonel  John  Washington;  this  in  consideration  of 
said  Spenser  and  Washington  having  at  their  own  expense  imported  one  hundred  immigrants  into 
the  colony. 

2.  On  record  in  the  land  oflBce,  Richmond,  Virginia,  a  grant  from  George  H.  Jeffreys  to 
Colonel  Nicholas  Spenser  and  Colonel  John  Washington  for  five  thousand  acres  of  land,  1679 
(confirmation  of  Culpeper  grant). 

3.  The  will  of  John  Washington  on  record  in  Westmoreland  County  proved  January  10,  1677, 
devised  his  moiety  of  above  land  to  his  son,  Lawrence  Washington  (of  Wakefield). 

4.  In  the  year  1690,  the  Court  of  Stafford  County  appointed  one  John  Washington  and 
George  Brent  to  divide  the  grant  equally  between  Lawrence  Washington,  son  and  heir  of  Colonel 
John,  and  the  heirs  of  Colonel  Nicholas  Spenser.  This  they  did  by  survey,  September  and  December, 
1690,  running  a  line  east  and  west  from  the  river  to  the  back  line  thereof  and  giving  to  each  one- 
half  the  river  front.  The  southern  portion,  bounded  by  Epsewasson  Creek,  fell  to  the  heirs  of 
Spenser,  while  Lawrence  Washington  received  the  portion  on  the  north  bounded  by  Little  Hunting 
Creek  (see  map  of  grant). 

5.  The  will  of  Lawrence  Washington  (of  Wakefield),  proved  Westmoreland  County,  Virginia, 
March  30,  1698,  devised  his  property  equally  between  his  wife  and  three  children,  John,  Augustine 
and  Mildred.  The  two  thousand  five  hundred  acres,  as  above  described,  he  devised  to  his  daughter 
Mildred,  who  married  Roger  Gregory  of  Stafford  County,  Virginia. 

6.  In  1726  Mildred  Gregory  (nee  Washington)  and  her  husband,  Roger,  in  consideration  of 
one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds  or  nine  hundred  dollars,  united  in  a  deed  recorded  in  Westmoreland 
County,  for  the  transfer  of  the  Hunting  Creek  property  to  her  brother.  Captain  Augustine  Wash- 
ington, father  of  the  General. 

7.  Augustine  Washington  purchased  from  the  heirs  of  Colonel  Nicholas  Spenser  a  tract  of 
two  hundred  acres  of  land,  lying  along  the  head-waters  of  the  Epsewasson.  This  purchase 
furnished  a  site  for  the  grist  mill,  erected  by  Augustine,  and  is  shown  in  the  illustration  (page  13). 

8.  A  deed  from  Augustine  Washington,  conveying  two  thousand  five  hundred  acres  and  the 
mill  to  his  son,  Lawrence,  recorded  at  a  session  of  the  General  Court  of  Virginia,  held  at  Williams- 
burg, October  28,  1740. 

9.  The  will  of  Captain  Augustine  Washington  confirming  the  above  deed  of  1740,  recorded 
in  King  George  County,  May,  1743. 

10.  The  will  of  Lawrence  Washington  (of  Mount  Vernon),  proved  in  Fairfax  County,  Sep- 
tember 26,  1752,  devising  all  his  properties  in  Fairfax  County  which  included  that  estate  named 
by  him  Mount  Vernon,  to  his  infant  daughter  Sarah,  and  her  heirs  with  life  estate  to  his  wife, 
Anne  Fairfax  Washington,  and  providing  that  in  case  of  the  death  of  his  daughter  without  issue, 
the  property  was  to  revert  to  his  half-brother  George.  Sarah,  daughter  of  Lawrence,  died  soon 
after  her  father,  and  in  a  few  months  his  widow,  Anne,  married  Colonel  George  Lee,  uncle  of 
Richard  Henry  and  Arthur  Lee,  but  did  not  by  this  marriage  forfeit  her  dower  in  the  estate  of 
her  late  husband.    Thus  we  find. 

.  II.  Deed  recorded  in  Fairfax  County,  December  16,  1754,  Anne  Lee  and  her  husband, 
George,  conveyed  to  George  Washington,  all  their  right  and  title  to  two  tracts  of  land,  one  on 
Little  Hunting  Creek  (original  two  thousand  and  five  hundred  acres),  and  one  on  Dogue  Run, 
together  with  grist  mill;  the  latter  parcel  being  the  same  tract  of  two  hundred  acres  purchased 
from  the  Spenser  heirs  by  Augustine  Washington,  in  1739,  and  devised  by  him  to  his  son,  Charles, 
and  purchased  from  Charles  by  Lawrence.  This  purchase  of  the  widow's  dower  in  1754  gave 
Colonel  Washington  Mount  Vernon  in  fee. 

12.  General  Washington  subsequently  increased  his  inheritance  by  purchase  of  five  hundred 
acres  on  Dogue  Run  from  Sampson  Darrill,  conveyed  in  two  deeds  May  6  and  9,  1 760.  Three 
hundred  and  seventy  sis  acres  on  Dogue  Creek,  from  Benjamin  Dulaney,  and  wife,  February  27, 
1785.  One  hundred  and  forty-two  acres  on  Dogue  Creek  from  William  Triplett  et  als,  September 
26,  1786.     One  thousajiil  eight  hundred  and  six  acres  in  Clifton  Neck,  just  north  of  Hunting  Creek 


366  WASHINGTON   THB   MAN   AND   THE)    MASON. 

from  G.William  Fairfaxand  others, commissioners.  Five  hundred  and  eighty-fouracresadjoining 
the  above  last  mentioned  from  George  Brent. 

A  number  of  other  deeds  conveying  land  in  Fairfax  County  adjacent  to  Mount  Vernon  to 
General  Washington  were  recorded  at  Fairfax  Court  House,  but  are  now  missing,  the  records 
having  been  carried  away  or  destroyed  during  the  Civil  War. 

To  George  Washington  from  John  Carney,  Simeon  Pearson,  Alexandria  Trustees,  John  Posey, 
George  Mason,  John  Posey,  Jr.,  Ulinda  Wade,  John  West,  Jr.,  Charles  West,  Margaret  Manley, 
Thomas  H.  Marshall,  William  Barry  and  Adam  Daw,  et  als. 

13.  The  will  of  George  Washington,  devising  Mount  Vernon  mansion  and  four  thousand  acres 
of  land  adjacent  thereto  to  his  nephew.  Judge  Bushrod  Washington  (son  of  his  brother  John 
Augustine),  proved  in  Fairfax  County  Court,  January  20,  iSoo. 

14.  The  will  of  Bushrod  Washington  devising  Mount  Vernon  mansion  and  one  thousand 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres  to  his  nephew  John  A.  Washington,  son  of  his  (Bushrod's) 
brother  Corbin,  proved  in  Fairfax  County,  December  21,  1S29. 

15.  Will  of  John  A.  Washington,  convej-ing  all  his  property  to  his  wife,  Jane  C.  Washington, 
during  her  widowhood,  with  power  to  devise  it  as  she  pleased  among  their  children,  on  record  in 
Jefferson  County,  now  West  Virginia,  proved  July  16,  1832. 

16.  Deed  from  Mrs.  Jane  C.  Washington,  widow  of  John  A.  Washington,  to  her  oldest  son, 
John  A.  Washington,  conveying  to  him  under  the  power  of  appointment  given  her  by  her 
husband's  will.  Mount  Vernon  mansion  and  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres 
attached  thereto,  on  record  in  Fairfax  County,  1850. 

17.  The  wUl  of  Mrs.  Jane  C.  Washington,  widow  of  John  A.  Washington,  devising  Mount 
Vernon  to  her  aforesaid  son,  John  A.  Washington,  the  proprietor  (who  sold  the  mansion  to  the 
Mount  Vernon  Ladies'  Association  of  the  Union),  thus  confirming  the  deed  she  had  aheady  made 
to  him,  on  record  in  Jefferson  County,  now  West  Virginia,  1855. 

18.  Contract  between  John  A.  Washington  and  the  Mount  Vernon  Ladies'  Association  of  the 
Union,  a  corporation  chartered  under  the  act  of  the  legislature  of  Virginia,  passed  March  19, 
1858,  for  the  purchase  of  two  hundred  and  two  acres  of  the  above  land,  on  record  in  Fairfax  County, 
April  6,  1S58. 

19.  A  deed  dated  12th  day  of  November,  1868,  made  in  pursuance  of  the  contract  previously 
cited,  W.  A.  Taylor,  Commissioner,  and  the  heirs  of  John  A.  Washington,  conveying  to  the  Mount 
Vernon  Ladies'  Association  the  Mount  Vernon  buildings  and  the  tombs,  with  two  hundred  and 
two  acres  of  land. 

20.  Deed  of  the  23rd  of  July,  1887,  Jay  Gould  and  wife  conveyed  to  the  Association  an  adjoin- 
ing parcel  of  thirty-three  and  one-half  acres.  This  land  was  a  part  of  the  original  Mount  Vernon 
estate,  and  was  conveyed  to  Jay  Gould  by  a  deed  from  Lawrence  Washington,  and  also  simul- 
taneously with  the  execution  of  the  deed  of  Gould  and  wife  to  the  Mount  Vernon  Association. 
Lawrence  Washington  was  a  sou  of  John  A.  Washington,  and  inherited  this  property  from  his 
father,  who  sold  two  himdred  and  two  acresto  the  Mount  \'emou  Association.  In  1893,  Christian 
Heurich,  of  Washington,  D.  C. ,  gave  the  Association  two  acres  more,  abutUng  the  original  property, 
making  a  total  of  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven  and  one-half. 

This  is  the  unbroken  chain  of  the  original  grant  to  John  Washington,  with  subsequent  addi- 
tions by  his  descendants,  the  mansion  and  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven  and  one-half  acres  of 
which  are  now  held  by  the  Mount  Vernon  Ladies'  Association  of  the  Union.  The  rest  of  the 
eight  thousand  acres  comprising  the  estate  at  the  time  of  General  Washington's  death  has  been 
subdivided  from  time  to  time  and  now  constitutes  a  number  of  highly  cultivated  small  farms. 


[Copied  by  pernii2sm  li"om  the  MS.  m  the  Depaxtment  of  State,  at  Washington.] 

Ot    iy/irlE'IxlCA.    C'Vu    G^^r-^^y^^)^  Crry^eyy^^j  o^^OnrJlri^. 

^    /I    ini     I'^i     f    I   ii''-     ^  ''  II    M'Tin  fi    ^<ii^     /ill        ^,' ;f^..,'L  ■.,..',-,.  >,:.w>wt/^^l^/»^.- 

\Jl^yicM^  lyrny^p^X,  TKe/n\.~to    •Wj^vii  .■■■■y  ,  ijii      ti'^n^A.  /ryi 

u^'U   oU^oUJO^  /L;6^,.n>*.-r^.>Twrvfc    ^  e^-UM^kQ  ^L>^.£A.yuft  i^akM^r^  f^nr 
Ca^^jL  V  ti-oyrv^-U^  Ca.<xO^  •.   a.~^  cuLXUrC^u^^jytj  aU  tap<yr\^yru^  4^^iAk  ^iuj^r^   rLi/t 


'L  ^  eWcu^z^  fe  ;^^.c...^  iLjyrrp^jUXu^  ^;^4^./^^;  ^ik^^ruy^^ 


^a::<limaii^"^  ,m  m  .1   At:,^'  -yv         .  /^ 


s 


jaauiA^tJjLd    ti/^w*t-   /^>rv<rN..*^Tv  -K-tijt    </?  .j.rt>.yrpxr^     t»    oo^  uwrs^jU^  K^t>..c±jl4^ ksJ  clj^f^rx^.^Mjrr'.  /^ 

-^-eX-L^^  c^C^VCiU^  ^}Up^^rr^  yJa^dU^UrX^^y^C^  cAo  -n-t^c.^  ^ 


/r^ 


xuiyjicA.  r\t.  i^yr-a^  /Ax^ru'ty  o,r»T~'>vw6  O-^-^x^ir^-*^  'f^su,   Zlaj-c^  ,A  Ou^r'^tAi.cy^ 

'7W  ^i^w*    ux-  ^t^/rx  cx^^O/TvC:^  c^  cJXi/rl^^orr^^  Xc  ox<yr  V>>-uk^   (rxy/An-c^:  Co^A-axa^ 
p>ryCor^un\  :  j-Kat  //W^  u/t/x.  eJfL^'^  at  fki^ t^Kf^CTy^Jl-  c^ cruyy- (ruuy\^^TA^^rrd.U ^r^^a^oiyhC ^ 

K. 


a^  ^>t/rrruXOnj  ffu^  cAlz/ rr\jx./yu3  f^tJ-z.  ta  ^crwC-crXferr  'Y[Jf.  ayJU<  t^o-^JLijsy'n  (/r  tru/ir  otrrr\^trsurf^ 
tri-K  tyZ/iXJi    iVt^Tv/^     <6</OT\ylc<Ct  A-<*<JLe-  Z-&e/r^  a.A-^^  ^Cl.  cyrOoit.  p^^^rr^'to-yui'kxn--  (n~it  a.<.tnr->rrM^ 


^^^cnjtcm. 


//       ^^^ 


c^^*-/«-<</ 


/t^c^  ^^^rz^i4^^^r?u 


'^ 


^/z^yr\^ 


^S^,^^^^^  ^^-^ 


INDEX  TO  PERSONAL  NAMES 


INDEX  TO  PERSONAL  NAMES. 


Adair,  Robert,  53. 

Adam,  Robert,  96,  281,283,  302. 

Adams,  John,  79,  102,  103,  116.  117,  119,  130.  154.  164, 

165,  181,  182.  199.  200,  206.  207.  223.  233.  234.  255, 

portrait  opposite  117,  tribute  to  Washingtoa  199. 

200. 
Adams,  John  Qmncy.  30S. 
Adams,  Samuel,  102,  164. 
Adams,  William,  94,  95. 
Adcock,  William.  282. 
Addison,  Walter  Dulaney,  193.  298. 
Alexander,  Charles,  94,  1S6.  301. 
Alexander,  Jerard,  23,  209. 
Alexander,  Philip,  23,  77.  I47* 
Alexander,  Robert,  96,  300. 
Alexander.  William  F.,  236. 
Allerton,  Anne.  195. 
Allison.  John,  281.  283,  286,  287. 
Allison.  Robert,  293,  300. 
Alsop.  John.  102. 
Ambler,  Edward,  36- 
Anderson,  179,  192.  193. 
Andrews,  Mrs.  A.  B.,  246. 
Andrews,  William  L.,  334.  338.  339,  portrait  opposite 

341. 
Arell,  David,  288. 
Armington,  Arthur  H.,  334,  338. 
Armstrong,  John,  267. 
Arnold,  Benedict,  24,  112,  118-120.  267. 
Ashby,  Jack.  43. 

Ashley,  Albert  B..  334,  335.  338.  portrait  oppoeite  335. 
Atkinson,  Guy,  293.  298,  300. 
Aylett,  Ann,  15,  194. 

Bacon,  James.  299. 

Bacon,  Nathaniel,  4,  42. 

Baldwin.  Abraham,  144,  267. 

Ball,  Burgess,  185. 

Ball,  Mrs.  Emma  Reed,  246. 

Ball,  Joseph.  9,  10,  19,  194. 

Ball,  Mary.  9,  10,  16-20.  57,  125.  154.  I94.  I95.  231. 

alleged  portrait  opposite  9.  home  in  Fredericksburg, 

Va.,  opposite  126. 
Ball,  Spencer  M..  87. 
Ball,  William,  282. 
Ballandine,  John,  13,  24.  59- 
Ballandine,  John,  jr.,  87. 
Ballou.  Henry  L-,  334.  3S8.  339. 

Banks,  Henry,  331,  333,  334.  portrait  opposite  339. 
Banks,  James,  87. 
Barnes.  Thomas.  87. 
Barrett,  Mrs.  William  F.,  246. 
Bartleman.  William.  298,  300, 
Bartlett.  Josiah.  274. 
Bassett.  Burwell.  125,  146.  213. 
Bassett,  Frances  (Fannie),  146,  147,  220. 
Bassett,  Mrs.,  145. 
Bassett,  Richard,  144. 
Bayliss,  Hodijah.  131. 
Baylor,  George,  131- 
Beale,  Charles.  87. 


Beale.  John,  86, 

Beale,  Will,  87. 

Beauchamp,  George  A.,  334, 

Beckwith.  Jona,  87. 

Bedford.  Gunning.  144. 

Bel6eld,  John.  87. 

Belfield.  Thomas.  87. 

Berkeley,  Wilham.  4,  5. 

Berkeley,  Norborne,  104. 

Berryman,  John,  86. 

Bevins,  267. 

Biddle.  Edward,  102. 

Binney.  Horace.  234. 

Bird.  William,  293. 

Bishop.  66. 

Bixby,  William  K.,  210. 

Blackburn,  Anne,  233,  portrait  opposite  235. 

Blackburn,  Edward.  95. 

Blackburn,  Jane  Charlotte,  235. 

Blackburn,  Richard  Scott.  235. 

Blackburn,  Thomas,  193,  233. 

Blackwell.  John,  87. 

Blackwell.  Joseph,  87. 

Blagge,  John,  87. 

Blair,  John,  65.  114,  144.  "59.  =54.  259,  260,  263,  por- 
traits opposite  159.  263. 

Blake,  John  Albert.  334.  338. 

Bland,  John.  87. 

Bland.  Richard,  8i.  loi.  103.  114, 

Bleeker,  267. 

Blount.  William,  144. 

Bogges,  Robert,  209. 

Bogue,  John,  299.  301. 

Bonaparte.  Caroline.  248. 

Bonaparte,  Eugenie,  249. 

Bonaparte,  Louis  Napoleon,  201.  248,  249. 

Booker,  James.  87. 

Booth,  William.  87. 

Boquet,  69. 

Borrowdale.  John.  300. 

Botts,  John  Minor,  262. 

Boudmont.  Elias.  150. 

Bowdoin.  James,  102. 

Bowling,  B.,  262. 

Braddish.  William.  262. 

Braddock.  Edward,  13,  24.  42,  53  59,  66,  137.  318.  por- 
trait opposite  59. 

Brearly,  David,  144. 

Brennon,  Caroline.  189,  191, 

Brent,  Giles.  5. 

Brent,  W..  87. 

Brewin.  267. 

Broadwater,  Charles,  94,  95,  209. 

Brockenbrough.  William.  87. 

Brocket.  Robert.  301. 

Bronaugh,  Miss.  99. 

Bronaugh.  William.  87. 

Brooke.  Robert.  31. 

Brooks,  Christopher.  20. 

Brooks,  David.  182.  267. 

Brook?.  John  T.,  298.  300. 

Broon,  Jacob,  144. 

369 


370 


INDEX  TO  PERSONAL  NAMES. 


Broome.  John,  87. 

Brougham,  Lord,  187. 

Brown,  David  Paul.  234.. 

Brown.  Gustavus,  189.  190.  194,  297.  portrait  opposite 

1 89. 
Brown.  Mrs.  John  Carter,  246 
Bruff.  267. 

Buckner,  Richard.  86. 
Bumam.  Robert  R.,  334. 
Bumham    Henry  E     333- 
Bumside.  Ambrose  Everett,  42. 
Burr,  Aaron.  164,  182. 
Bushrod.  Hannah,  71,  195.  231.  232. 
Bushrod,  John.  231. 
Butler,  Caleb.  9,  194. 
Butler.  Jane,  9,  194. 
Butler.  Pierce.  144. 
Butler,  Thomas.  267. 
Butt.  Archibald,  336. 
Butts.  Mark.  300. 
Byrd,  Evelyn,  211. 
Byrd.  Louise,  238. 
Byrd.  William.  31.  32.  21X,  238. 
Byrne,  Patrick,  301. 

Cabell.  William  H.,  262. 

Calvert,  Benedict,  109,  214.  229. 

Calvert,  Eleanor.  109,  112.  145.  146.  192.  »93.  214.  229. 

300. 
Calvert.  George,  185. 
Camden,  Lord,  83. 
Campbell,  Gilbert.  87,  267. 
CampSeld.  267. 
Canter,  Harry  Marvin,  341. 
Carey,  Archibald.  101. 
Carg.  Richard,  131. 
Carlin.  Charles  C,  341. 
Carlton,  Guy,  126. 
Carlyle,  George  William,  54. 
Carlyle.  John.  23,  27,  30,  54,  96,  209.  236.  239. 
Cart.  Dabney.  loi. 
Carrington.  Edward.  182. 
Carrington.  R.  E..  262. 
Carroll.  Daniel.  144,  289,  292. 
Carter,  J.  T.,  338. 
Carter.  Robert  30. 
Carter.  Robert  Wormley.  87, 
Cary.  Mary,  35. 
Gary,  Sally,  33,  35. 
Cary,  Wilson,  3;^, 
Cassoul.  268. 

Caswell,  Richard.  103,  259. 
Cazeoave,  P..  293. 
Chamberlain,  Major,  66. 
Chamberlain,  George  E.,  334. 
Champe,  Jane,  195. 
Chapman.  George,  298,  300. 
Chapman,  Lucy,  T95. 
Chapman,  Nathaniel,  27. 
Chapman,  Randolph  B..  334. 
Charlotte.  191. 
Charlton,  Edward,  253. 
Chase.  Samuel,  102,  139.  140. 
Chastellux,  122. 
Chilton,  Charles,  87. 
ChiltOD.  Thomas.  87. 
Chilton.  William.  87. 
Christian,  William.  loS. 
Christopher.  191,  192. 


Clark,  Deborah,  8,  30,  34.  40. 

Clark.  Francis,  30. 

Clarke,  Francis  D..  33S,  339. 

Clarke.  Frank  Wells,  333. 

Clarke,  Joseph,  291. 

Clay,  Henry,  207. 

Clinton,  George,  133.  157. 

Clinton.  De  Witt.  258. 

Chnton,  Henry.  121.  124. 

Clymer.  George,  144. 

Cobb,  David,  131,  182. 

Cockbum,  Martin.  99,  192. 

Cocke.  Catesby.  209. 

Cocke,  William.  87. 

CoSer,  Thomas  Withers.  94,  95- 

Coleman,  267. 

Coles.  Peyton  S.,  312. 

CoUier.  James  W..  341. 

Comegys.  Harriet  C,  246. 

Conner,  267. 

Conover,  Frances  S..  246. 

Conrad,  Eleanor  Angela.  222. 

Conway,  Richard,  300. 

Cooper,  103. 

Comwallis,  120-124,  298.  portrait  opposite  124. 

Coryell,  George,  298,  300. 

Cottom,  Peter,  298,  299,  300. 

Cotton,  John  W..  338.  339- 

Cowles,  John  H.,  332-334.  338,  portrait  opposite  341. 

Coie,  Daniel,  253. 

Craig,  Thomas,  267. 

Craik,  James,  56,59,  65,  76,  131,  147,  186, 1S8.  194,  207, 

300.  317.  portrait  opposite  1S9. 
Craik,  William.  137. 
Crane,  Stephen.  102. 
Culpeper.  Thomas,  3,  29,  30,  31. 
Cunningham,  Ann  Pamela,  238-251,  portrait  opposite 

242. 
Gushing,  Thomas.  102. 

Gushing.  William.  159.  portrait  opposite  159. 
Custis,  Daniel,  211. 
Custis.  Daniel  Parke,  66,  73,  211,  212.  224,  228,  portrait 

opposite  211. 
Custis,  Eleanor  Parke  (Nellie).  125.  129.  145.  146.  159. 

177.  179.  185.  188.  213.  217,  220-222,  229,  235,  312, 

portrait  opposite   145.   179,  222.  picture  of  home 

opposite  221. 
Custis.  Ehzabeth  Parke.  217,  229,  300.  portrait  oppo- 
site 217. 
Custis,  Frances.  211. 
Custis.  George  Washington  Parke.  125.  129.  145.  159. 

186.  190,  207,  2:7,  218,  222-224,  229,  311.  portrait 

opposite  145.  224. 
Custis,  John,  211,  318. 
Custis,  John  Parke,  109,  112.  125.  145,  211-214,  216. 

217,  223,  224,  22S,  229,  318,  portrait  opposite  217. 
Custis,  Martha  Parke.  67,  109.  212.  213,  217,  224,  22S, 

portrait  opposite  211,  217. 
Custis,  Mary,  226,  229. 
Cyrus.  193,  299. 

Dade,  Baldwin.  301. 

Dade,  Townsend,  87,  94.  95.  96,  209. 

Dagoworthy,  63. 

Dalton.  John,  94-96,  239. 

Dandridge,  Frances  Jones,  211,  228. 

Dandridge,  Francis.  84. 

Dandridge,  John,  66.  211.  228,  265. 


INDEX  TO  PERSONAL  NAMES. 


)7I 


Dandridge,  Martha,  66-6S,  73,  109,  no,  112,  125,  129, 
145.  147.  159.  165,  i36,  188-192,  194,  206,  207, 
210-224,  22S,  229,  portrait  opposite  218. 

Darrah.  Delmar  D..  333. 

Davidson.  James.  301. 

Davidson,  Jottn.  49. 

Davies,  William  Richardson,  1S3,  257. 

Davis,  EUphalet,  102. 

Davis,  Thomas.  1S5,  192,  193.  298,  301. 

Davis,  Wendell  R..  33S,  339. 

Dawe,  Philip,  301. 

Day.  Thomas  J..  332.  332.  334.  338,  339. 

Dayton.  EUas.  182.  267. 

Dayton,  Jonathan,  144. 

Deakins.  WiUiam.  293. 

Deane,  James,  102. 

Deane,  Silas,  102. 

Dehart,  John,  102. 

Deneale,  George,  186.  193.  28S,  293,  297.  298,  300,  302, 
317,  portrait  opposite  302. 

Dennison,  Miss,  193,  300- 

Dick,  Elisha  Cullen.  189,  190.  193.  281-2S3.  2S8.  289. 
293.  297,  298,  300-302,  313.  317,  portraits  opposite 
189,  302. 

Dickey.  William.  292. 

Dickinscn,  Jacob  M..  333. 

Dickinson.  John,  102.  104.  144. 

Dickson,  John.  87. 

Diggs,  Dudley,  loi,  114,  192. 

Dillon.  James  E-.  334.  33^- 

Dinwiddie.  Robert.  13,  25.  42,  47,  48.  49.  51-55.  59-63. 
65- 

Dobbin,  Archibald,  293. 

Dodge,  Harrison  H.,  247. 

Douche,  103. 

Douglas.  James.  293. 

Douglas.  Thomas,  87. 

Dove,  John,  318. 

Dow.  Peter,  281. 

Duffey,  John,  315. 

Duke.  R.  T.  W..  320,  321,  325,  334,  335.  portrait  oppo- 
site 339. 

Dulan,  Edward.  95. 

Dulaney,  Benjamin.  147,  293. 

Dulaney,  Daniel,  147. 

Dumas,  Mathieu,  184. 

Dunbar,  Thomas,  53,  58,  59.  62. 

Dunlap,  John,  293. 

Dunmore,  John  Murray,  108,  112,  113,  260. 

Dupleses.  275. 

Duportail.  Louis  Lebeque,  122. 

Edmonson,  James,  87. 

Edmonson.  John,  87. 

Edmonston.  John,  Jr.,  87. 

Edwards.  Pierrepont.  257.  267. 

Eggleston.  Joseph  W..  330,  portrait  opposite  331. 

EUicott.  Joseph,  289,  290. 

Ellis.  William  Russell.  334- 

Ellsworth.  Ohver,  164.  183,  233,  267. 

EUzey,  Lewis.  94,  209. 

Ellzey.  Thomison.  94,  95. 

Emerson,  James.  87. 

Erskiae,  Thomas,  1S3,  267,  282. 

Eustace,  Hancock.  87. 

Evarts,  Mary,  246. 

Everett,  Edward,  in,  241.  247,  248,  351. 

Failing,  Miss  Mary  F.,  246. 


Fairfax.  Anne,  14,  18.  22.  27,  30.  32,  53.  71,  194. 
Fairfax.  Bryan,  34.  40.  77,  186.  187,  192,  193,  209,  300, 

portriit  opposite  39. 
Fairfax,  Catherine  Culpeper,  29. 
Fairfax,  Fernando.  193.  293,  298,  300. 
Fairfax.  George  William.  23.  24,  27.  30, 31,33-45.  43-44, 

76-73.  94   95.  134.  209. 
Fairfax.  Hannah,  S,  34. 
Fairfax.  Henry.  30. 
Fairfax.  Miss,  193,  300. 
Fairfax,  Sally,  35, 
Fairfax,  Sarah,  30.  35.  54,  71. 
Fairfax.  General  Sir  Thomas,  37. 
Fairfax.  Lord  Thomas,  23.  29-31.  35,  37-39,  77.  78.  316. 

portrait  opposite  29. 
Fairfax.  Thomas,  jr.,  1S7. 
Fairfax.  William,  8,  iS.  23.  24.  27.  30-34,  40,  54,  64,  76 

209. 
Fairfax,  William  Henry,  34. 
Faxon,  Josiah.  298.  300. 
Fauntleroy.  Betsy.  36. 
Fauntleroy.  Moore.  86. 
Fauntleroy.  William.  36. 
Fauquier,  Francis,  65,  82. 
Fayette.  George,  220, 
Fersen.  Axel.  122. 
Few,  William,  144. 
Fidd.  H.  K..  335. 
Filsom,  Nathaniel.  102. 
Finney,  William,  254. 
Fisher,  Ebenezer.  87. 
Fitzgerald.  John,  131,  186. 
Fitzhugh.  Mary  Lee.  223.  229. 
Fitzhugh.  Peregrine,  131,  186. 
Fitzhugh,  ^"illiara,  223. 
Fitzsimmons,  Thomas.  144. 
Fitzwhylson,  W.  H.,  262,  303. 
Flanders,  Dana  J.,  335.  portrait  opposite  339. 
Flannery,  Michael,  293,  298,  300, 
Fleming,  Thomas.  96. 
Flint.  Thomas  B.,  324. 
Flood,  WiKiam.  87. 
Floyd.  Wilham,  102. 
Forbes,  Mrs.,  191. 
Ford,  John,  94. 
Ford,  Thomas.  94,  95. 
Foster.  Antonie  L.,  246. 
Foushee,  Francis,  87. 
Fox.  267. 

Francks,  Henry,  87. 
Franklm.  Benjamin.  83,   117,  119,  144,  146,  152,  253, 

255.  25S,  portrai;  opposite  1:7. 
French.  Daniel,  94.  95,  2o<^ 
Frestell,  165,  iSo,  181. 
Fry.  Joshua.  23,  31.  50,  317. 
Fulton,  Robert.  152. 

Gadsden.  Christopher.  103. 
G^ge,  Thomas.  256. 
Gale.  George.  8. 
Galloway,  Joseph.  102, 
Gait,  James,  254. 
Gardner.  William.  94.  95. 
Gates,  Horatio,  no,  118,  182. 
Gault,  Gabriel,  26r. 
Gault.  John  Minson,  253,  254. 
Gedney.  Bartholomew,  30. 
Gerry,  Eldridge.  143,  181. 
Ghequiere,  Bernard,  298,  300. 


37- 


INDEX  TO  PERSONAL  NAMES. 


GIbbs,  Caleb.  131.  ^^7- 

Gibson,  James.  282. 

Giles,  James,  269. 

GiUis.  James.  293.  294.  298,  300.  302- 

Gilman.  Nicholas,  144- 

Gilpin.  George.  193.  2SS,  293.  29S,  299. 

Gilpin.  Joseph.  300. 

Gist.  Christopher.  25,  49- 

Gist,  Mordecai.  258.  267.  271.  272- 

Goldsborough,  Robert,  102. 

Gooch,  William.  14.  21.  22. 

Gorgas,  William  L..  338. 

Gorman.  Nathaniel,  144.  iSO- 

Graham,  Mrs.  Christian  B.,  246. 

Graham.  George.  298,  300. 

Grant,  Peter.  87. 

Grasse-Tilly.  F.  J.  P..  121,  122.  124. 

Grater,  Michael.  I9-2- 

Gray,  George.  248.  267,  293. 

Grayson.  Benjamin,  209. 
Grayson.  Spence,  147. 

Grayson.  William,  24.  77.  87.  100,  131.  144- 

Greenaway,  Joseph.  293. 

Greene.  Charles.  1 7- 

Greene.  Nathaniel,  no.  iiS.  119.  uo,  portrait  opposite 
118. 

Greenleaf.  Moses,  267. 

Greenleaf,  Simon,  267. 

Greenville.  George.  80.  83. 

Greenway.  Joseph.  288. 

Gregory.  Mildred.  8.  n. 

Gregory.  Roger,  8. 

Gridley,  Richard.  256. 

Griffin,  Cyrus.  150. 

Griffith.  David.  147. 

Grove.  William.  17. 

Gninman.  267. 

Grymes,  John,  31. 

Grymes.  Lucy,  36. 

Guion,  267. 

Hackett.  Richard  N..  334* 
Halket,  Peter.  53. 
Hall,  David,  282. 
Hallate,  Stephen,  292. 

Hamilton.  Alexander.  119.  123.  131.  i44.  146.  158.  i59- 
160.  161.  1S3.  220.  257,  267.  portrait  opposite  160. 
Hamilton,  Robert,  192.  193- 
Hamp.  Benjamin  A..  293. 
Hancock,  John.  109.  150.  254.  3>3.  portrait  opposite 

109. 
Hand,  Edward,  182. 
Hanmer,  267. 
Hanson,  Jno.,  150. 
Hanson.  Samuel.  147. 
Hanson,  Thomas,  147. 
Harper,  Jchn.  293. 
Harper,  William,  298. 

Harrison,  Benjamin.  101,  103,  108.  138,  154- 
Harrison.  Mrs.  Charles  Custis.  246. 
Harrison.  F.  E..  334.  338.  339. 
Harrison.  Robert,  i3X- 
Havens,  F.  W.,  334.  338. 
Hawkins,  John.  288. 
Hays,  James.  301. 
Hasrwood.  Humphrey.  254. 
Hearst.  Mrs.  Phoebe  A.,  246. 
Heath.  William,  no. 
Beffries.  Richard.  87. 


Henderson,  Alexander.  94,  95,  139,  140,  map  90-91. 

Henley,  Frances  Dandridge,  220. 

Henn,  Robert.  4. 

Henry.  Patrick.  80-82,  84,  85,  loi.  10  j.  104.  106-108, 

183,  214,  255.  260,  facsimile  of  resot  Jtlonson  stamp 
act  opposite  8i.  resolves  106-108. 
Herbert,  John,  1S6.  1S7. 
Herbert.  Mary  I,ee,  235. 
Herbert,  Noblet,  236. 
Herbert.  Upton  H.,  247. 
Herbert.  William.  283,  284,  293,  300. 
Hervey,  267. 
Hoban,  James,  292,  326. 
Hobby.  17. 
Hodges,  Rich..  87. 
Hodgson,  William,  288.  293.  300. 
Holden,  Justen.  338.  339. 
Hollingsworth,  J.  M.,  247. 
Holt,  John.  234. 
Hooe,  James  H.,  186. 
HooEE.  Lawrence,  278. 
Hooker.  Joseph.  42. 
Hooper,  William.  103. 
Hopkins.  Stephen.  102. 
Hopkiason.  Joseph.  234. 
Houdon.  Jean  Antoine.  146. 
Howell.  Joseph.  2S3. 
Hudson.  Mrs.  Susan  Johnson.  246. 
Hughes.  Isaac,  267. 
Hughes.  Joseph.  103. 
Hughes,  Richard.  10. 
Hull,  John  J..  334. 
Hull.  M.  J..  334. 
HuU.  William,  267. 
Humphreys,  Charles.  102. 
Humphries.  David,  122,  130,  131,  143. 
Hungerford,  R.  B.,  324. 
Hunt.  267. 
Hunt,  O.  W.,  208. 
Hunter,  John  Chapman.  293,  301. 
Hunter,  Nathaniel  C,  28S,  293. 
Hunter.  William.  281.  2S2.  286-288. 
Huntington.  Samuel,  150. 

IngersoU.  Jared.  144. 

Inglis,  192. 

Innes,  James,  62. 

Iredell.  James.  159.  220,  portrait  opposite  159. 

Irwin,  Mrs.  Lewis.  246. 

Ives,  George.  262. 

Jackson.  Andrew.  42. 

Jackson,  James.  257.  267. 

Jackson.  Robert.  18. 

Jackson.  William,  301. 

Jamesson.  Robert  B.,  298.  300. 

Jay,  John,  102,  104,  119,  140.  150,  159.  164,  portrait 

opposite  159. 
Jeffries.  T.  H..  338.  339. 
Jefferson,  Thomas,    101,    108.    114-117,    119— 121,    146, 

159-161.  164,  220,  255,  261,  311,  portrait  opposite 

117,  160. 
Jenifer.  Daniel  of  St.  Thomas.  139.  140,  144. 
Jett,  Thomis,  87. 

Johnson,  James  R..  332~335.  338.  portrait  Opposite  335. 
Johnson.  John.  253. 
Johnson,  Joseph,  240. 
Johnson.  Richard  M..  311. 


INDEX  TO  PERSONAL  NAMES. 


373 


Johnson.  Robert  D  .  246. 

Johnson.  Thomas,  102.  log.  139,  292. 

Johnson.  WiUiam  Sherman,  144. 

Johnston,  Dennis  McCarthy,  298,  300. 

Johnston.  George,  94,  99.  131. 

Johnstoa,  William.  288.  2^8.  300. 

JoUette,  Louis.  25. 

Jones.  Blaithwaite,  282. 

Jones,  Charles,  299,  301. 

Jones,  John  Paul.  311 

Jones,  M..  146. 

Jones.  Thomas.  87. 

Jones,-  Walter.  300. 

JamonviUe,  N.  Coulon  de.  50. 

Kalb,  Johann  de.  118.  162. 

Keiper,  J.  Oaude.  315,  338,  portrait  opposite  341- 

Keith.  I  6. 

Kemper,  Kosciosko,  310. 

Kempff,  John  Christopher,  293.  298.  300. 

Kenner.  Ro  iham,  87. 

Kenaer.  Winder  S..  87. 

Keppel.  Augustus.  13.  53. 

Keppel.  Caroline,  53. 

Kies,  George  A..  338,  339. 

Kincaid,  John.  301. 

King,  Annie  Ragan,  246. 

Kinj.  Clarence  P.,  portrait  opposite  341. 

King,  Rufus,  144. 

Kinaey,  267. 

Kinsey,  James.  102. 

KlnoK,  Henry.   118,  122,   136.   141.   143.   157-160.   182, 

220,  portrait  oppxjsite  160. 
Kosciuszko.  Thadeusz.  118. 
Kruger.  Albert  J.,  324. 

feafayette.  Marquis  de,  1 18. 120-122,  124,  126.  133.  134, 
137.  138,  146,  147.  180,  181,  184.  257.  262,  267,  303, 
305-308.  312.  316,  portrait  opposite  134. 

Lafayette,  Marchioness  de,  133,  180,  181. 

Lafayette,  George  Washington,  165,  i3o,  181,  304. 

Lambert.  William  H..  308-310. 

Lamberton,  James  M.,  335.  338.  340,  portrait  opposite 
335- 

Lancaster.  D.  Eggleston,  313. 

Lancy.  James  de,  55. 

Lane,  George,  301. 

Lane.  Isaac.  108. 

Lane.  Joseph.  87. 

Langdon,  John.  144. 

Latimer.  Alexander,  301. 

Laughton,  Joseph,  276. 

Laughton,  Lily  M..  245. 

Laurens,  Henry,  150. 

Laurens.  John,  119,  120.  131. 

Law,  Thomas,  191-193.  229,  300. 

Lawler,  Oscar.  329,  333. 

Lawrence,  Samuel,  267. 

Lear,  Tobias.  147.  183.  188.  192,  193.  217,219,  220,3x1. 
portrait  opposite  189. 

Leary.  Mrs.  EHza  F..  246. 

Lee.  Charles,  24,  100,  110,  m,  118.  182.  198.  portrait 
opposite  1 10. 

Lee.  Fitzhugh,  36. 

Lee,  Francis  Lightfoot,  87. 

Lee.  George,  27,  53.  71. 

Lee,  George  Washington  Custis,  226. 

Le«.  Hannah,  235. 


Lee,  Henry  (Light  Horse  Harry),  36.  54,  146,  201,  224, 

227.  315.  portrait  opposite  201. 
Lee,  John.  87. 

Lee.  Lawrence  H..  333-335.  338.  portrait  opposite  339. 
Lee,  Mary  Ann  R.,  226,  portrait  opposite  227. 
Lee.  Richard,  53,  87. 
Lee,  Richard  Henry.  85-87.   100.  loi,  103.   104.   108, 

116.  150.  235,  portrait  opposite  85. 
Lee,  Robert  E..  223-229,  portrait  opposite  227. 
Lee.  Thomas.  24.  26. 
Lee.  Thomas  Ludwell.  87.  114.  208. 
Lefebre.  Charles  M..  299. 
Lemoine.  John,  301. 
Lenox,  Hugh.  2S2. 
Lewis.  2o3. 

Lewis,  Andrew,  108.  267. 
Lewis.  Betty.  16,  248.  picture  of  home  opposite  141, 

portrait  opposite  143. 
Lewis,  Fielding,  195,  231,  265.  portrait  opposite  145. 
Lewis,  George,  131. 
Lewis.  Lawreace.  178,  179,  190.  207.  217.  220-222,  229, 

23s.  293,  312.  picture  of  home  opposite  221,  por- 
trait opposite  222. 
Lewis.  Lorenzo.  222.  293,  portrait  opposite  222. 
Lewis,  Mary.  248. 
Lewis,  Thomas.  31. 
Lieter,    Mrs.    Mary    T..    246. 
Lincoln.   Benjamin,   118.   122,    124,    125.   182,   portrait 

opposite  124. 
Linton.  William  S.,  333. 

Little,  Charles.  193.  208,  288.  293,  297,  299. 
Livingston,  Philip,  102. 
Livingston.  Robert  R..  117.  158.  159.  258.  269.  portrait 

opposite  117. 
Livingston.  William,  102,  144. 
Logan.  Thomas,  87. 
Long,  Mary.  219,  220. 
Longfellow.  Henry  Wadsworth,  xxi. 
Longfellow,  Alice.  246. 
Longstreet,  James,  42. 
Lovell,  Robert.  87. 
Low,  Isaac,  102. 
"Lowland  Beauty,"  35.  36. 
Lynch,  Thomas.  103. 
Lynton,  William,  95. 

McCarty.  Daniel.  87.  94.  95.  192.  209. 
McCarty.  Miss.  192. 

McChesney,  William  B..  331.  333,  334,  337.  338.  por- 
trait opposite  331 . 
McClanahan.  192. 
McClellan.  42. 
McCormick.  Alexander.  326. 
McCrea,  Robert.  283,  286.  287.  288.  302. 
McDowell.  42.  209. 

McGaffey.  Albert  B..  334,  335,  portrait  opposite  335. 
McGuire.  Edward.  16. 
McHenry.  James.  131.  144,  177.  178,  182. 
Machin,  Thomas,  267. 
Mclver,  John,  298,  300. 
Mackay,  Mungo.  274. 
McKean,  Thomas.  102.  150. 
Mackenzie.  Alexander,  29S.  300. 
Mackenzie,  James.  29S.  300. 
McKinley.  William.  281.  321.  325, 
McKinley.  William  B.,  portrait  opposite  341. 
McKnight.  John,  298,  300. 
McKoy.  William  B..  338.  339. 
McLeary.  J.  H..  334- 


374 


INDEX  TO  PERSONAL  NAMES. 


MaClure,  267. 

Madden,  Michael.  293. 

Madison.  James.  114.  I39.  I44.  188. 

Maffit.  Williiim.  298,  193. 

Magruder.  Philip.  301. 

Manderson,  Mrs.  C.  F.,  246. 

Mandrillon.  Joseph,  134. 

Mann,  William  H..  333- 

Mansfield.  William  Murray.  234. 

Marion.  Francis.  118,  portrait  opposite  118. 

Marquette.  Jacques,  25. 

Marr,  John  Q..  209. 

Marshall,  John,  146,  164,  177,  181.  197.  233,  257,  258, 

261-264,  270,  portrait  opposite  198,  263. 
Marsteller,  Philip.  193.  298,  299. 
Marsteller.  Philip  G.,  293.  300. 
Martin,  Bryan,  39- 
Martin.  David,  301. 
Mason,  George,  colonist,  5. 
Mason.  George,  24.  88.  90.  91.  94-95.97-99.  100.  114, 

116,   119,    139,  141-143,    145.  209,  260,  portrait 

opposite  97. 
Mason,  John,  116, 
Mason.  Thompson,  87.  192. 
Massey,  Lee,  93,  192,  map,  90-91. 
Matthews,  Thomas,  261. 
Maxey.  Mrs.  Thomas  S.,  246- 
Meade,  Everard.  93. 
Meade,  Richard  Kidder,  131. 
Meade,  William,  93. 
Mercer,  George.  63. 
Mercer,  Hugh.  58.  59,  76,  318. 
Mercer,  James,  114,  259.  260,  285 
Meriwether,  Reuben.  87. 
Middleton,  Henry,  103.  150. 

Mifflin,  Thomas,  102,  128,  129,  131,  143,  144,  150,  156. 
.  Milliken.  Joseph.  87. 
Milnor,  James,  25S.  275,  303. 
Minor.  Jemima.  209. 
Mitchell,  Richard,  87. 
Molly,  191. 

Monroe.  James.  1S8.  207.  307. 
Monroe,  John.  87. 
Monroe,  Spence,  87. 
Montague.  A.,  87. 
Montcalm.  Marquis  de,  64. 
Montgomery.  Alexander.  261. 

Montgomery,  Richard,  no,  112.  portrait  opposite  118. 
Morgan,  Daniel.  13.  14,  24.  59.  76.  112,  iiS.  177,  182, 

portrait  opposite  118. 
Morgan,  J.  Pierpont,  210. 
Morris,  Gouvemeur,  144. 
Morris,  Robert,  144. 
Morris,  Robert  H.,  55. 
Morris,  Samuel,  54,  56. 
Morrison.  Martin  A.,  338. 
Morrow,  J.  H.,  237. 
Mortimer.  Chs.,  87. 
Morton,  Jacob.  270. 
Morton,  John,  102. 
Moss,  Alfred.  208. 
Moss,  Jedediah,  148. 
Moss.  William,  298. 
Mossom.  David.  73. 
Mountjoy,  Edward,  87. 
Mountjoy,  John.  87. 
Mountjoy,  Thomas.  87. 
Mountjoy.  William  J..  87, 
Moxley,  Alvin,  87. 


Moylan,  Stephen,  131. 

Muhlenberg,  John  Peter  Gabriel,  182. 

Muir.  James,  193.  289,  293,  298. 

Muir.  John.  96,  301. 

Mumford,  George  W..  208. 

IMunn,  192. 

Murat.  C.  L-  N.  A..  248,  249. 

Murat,  Caroline.  249. 

Murat.  Mrs.  Catherine  Willis.  248.  249. 

Murch.  Ben  W.,  338.  339. 

Murdock.  Joseph.  87. 

Murray.  John  .104. 

Murray.  William  Vaus,  183. 

Muse,  Adjutant.  47. 

Napier,  George  M..  338,  340. 

Napoleon,  Eugenie.  249. 

Napoleon.  Louis,  201.  248,  249. 

Neale.  Joseph,  298-300. 

Nelson.  Thomas,  113,  114,  122,  portrait  opposite  123. 

Newman,  Robert,  256. 

Newton,  John,  87. 

Newton,  William,  186. 

Nicholas,  Robert  Carter,  loi,  108,  114. 

Nickols.  192. 

Nichols,  William  H.,  332,  333. 

Norfolk,  Duke  of,  253. 

Ober.  George  C,  333. 

Odell,  William  H.  L.,  334.  338.  339- 

Ogden,  Aaron.  258. 

O'Hara.  Charles.  124. 

OUver.  Daniel,  276. 

Ord,  George.  282. 

Orme,  Robert,  54,  56. 

Orr,  John,  87,  293. 

Osborne,  Richard,  23. 

Osborne,  William,  282. 

Otis.  James,  79.  255. 

Oxnard,  Thomas,  253. 

Paca,  William,  102. 

Pagan,  John,  23. 

Page,  John.  114. 

Page.  Thomas  Nelson,  238, 

Page.  William  Byrd.  298,  300. 

Paine,  Robert  Treat,  102. 

Parker,  Cornelius  B.,  338,  339, 

Parker,  Richard,  87. 

Parsons,  Samuel  Holden,  130, 

Pasco,  Samuel,  334. 

Patterson,  John,  267. 

Patterson.  William,  144. 

Patton,  Robert,  301. 

Payne.  Edward,  94,  95. 

Payne,  William,  94,  95,  193,  288,  293,  299. 

Peake,  Humphrey,  192,  map  90-91. 

Peckham,  267. 

Pendleton,  Edmund,  81,  loi.  103,  108,  114,  214,  264. 

Penet.  P.,  131. 

Perrin,  Susanna,  195. 

Peter,  Thomas.  191-193.  229.  300. 

Peterkin.  Thomas.  298.  299,  300. 

Peters,  Richard,  156,  220. 

Petrie,  Lord.  253. 

Pettus.  William  H.,  312,  336. 

Phillips.  William.  120. 

Piatt,  267. 

Pickens,  Andrew,  118. 


INDEX  TO  PERSONAL  NAMES. 


375 


Pierce,  Henry,  28S,  293. 

Pierce.  Joseph,  87. 

Pierce.  William,  87. 

Piercy,  Henry,  1S5,  186,  298,  30a 

Pike.  Albert,  318. 

Pinckney,  Charles.  144. 

Pinckney,  Charles  Cotesworthy.  144.  iSi.  182. 

Pinckney,  Thomas,  iG+. 

Pitt,  William,  S3.  104. 

Pomeroy.  Seth,  no. 

Pope.  Anne,  3. 

Pope,  Nathaniel,  42, 

Pope,  Thomas,  6. 

Posey,  John,  94,  95, 

Potts,  216. 

Poulson,  Captain,  57. 

Prevost.  Samuel,  159. 

price,  Henry.  253,  259. 

Price,  William  Boothe,  338,  339. 

Pringle.  Mrs.  J.  J.,  246. 

Proctor.  275,  281.  282. 

Putnam,  Israel,  no.  118,  130,  portrait  opposite  no. 

Putnam,  Rufus,  258. 

Ralfrey,  William,  131. 

Ramsay,  Dennis,  155,  2S5,  288,  293,  298,  299. 

Ramsay,  William,  23,  96,  209,  283.  298,  300. 

Ramsey,  Nathaniel.  193. 

Randolph.  Edmund,  114.  131,  139.  I43.  I59.  160,  255, 

259.  260,  263.  286-288,  portrait  opposite  160,  263. 
Randolph,  Harrison,  254,  264. 

Randolph,  John,  260. 

Randolph.  Peyton,  81,  103.  109,  150,  253.  254,  255,  258, 

260,  262,  263.  264.  portrait  opposite  103,  263. 
Ransdell.  Edward,  87. 

Rathbone.  Mrs.  E.  B.  A.,  246. 

Rawlins.  Albin,  183,  189.  217,  219. 

Reacumm,  267. 

Read,  Geo..  102,  144. 

Reid,  Joseph,  131. 

Revere,  Paul,  256,  25S,  276.  portrait  opposite  256. 

Rhoads,  Samuel,  102. 

Rhodes,  James  Ford.  226-228. 

Richards.  George,  288. 

Richards,  Mrs.  J.  G.  K.,  246. 

Richards.  John,  87. 

Richardson,  Forest,  298,  300. 

Richardson,  James  D.,  315,  331,  333,  portrait  opposite 

Ricks.  Mrs.  Francis  Jones,  246. 

Riddick,  Lemuel,  108. 

Riddle,  Joshua,  298,  300. 

Riggs,  Miss  Jane  A.,  246. 

Roane,  Thomas,  87. 

Roane,  W..  86 

Roberts.  John,  306. 

Robin,  35. 

Robinson,  Beverly.  64,  73,  81,  82. 

Robinson.  John,  31. 

Robinson.  Max,  87. 

Robinson,  William,  87. 

Rochambeau.  J.  B.  D.  de  V..  121-123,  125,  135,  184. 

Rodney,  Cesar.  102. 

Rogers,  Mrs.  Henry  W..  246. 

Rogers.  Robert,  267. 

Rogerson.  Thomas.  300. 

Roland.  Kate  Mason,  116. 

Roosevelt,  Theodore,  315. 

Ross,  George,  102,  239. 


Ross,  Henry  H..  332-334-  '^- 

Rowsey,  John,  254. 

Rumney,  John,  293. 

Rumsey,  James.  151,  152. 

Russell,  WilUam,  264. 

Rust,  Peter,  87. 

Rutherford,  Alexander,  2S2. 

Rutledge,  Edward,  103. 

Rutledge,  John,  103,  144,  159,  portrait  opposite  159. 

Ryan,  Michael,  2S1,  282,  285. 

Sachse,  Julius  F.,  334,  338. 

Saddler.  275. 

St.  Clair,  Arthur,  15c. 

St.  Clair,  John.  13,  156,  158. 

St.  Pierre,  Chevalier  de,  25. 

St.  Simon.  Claude  Henri,  124, 

Sanford,  267. 

Sanford,  Edward,  87. 

Sanford.  James.  87. 

Sanford,  Richard,  94,  95. 

Savage,  267. 

Schley.  Winfield  Scott.  315. 

Schuyler,  Philip,  no,  in,  114,  267,  portrait  opposite 
no. 

Scott,  David  Wilson,  298,  300. 

Scott,  R.  G.,  262,  268. 

Scott,  Winfield.  225. 

Selden,  Samuel.  87. 

Seldon,  Eleanor  Love,  236,  241. 

Seldon.  Wilson  Carey,  236. 

Seton,  John  C.  393. 

Sharp.  Alexander.  A.,  334. 

Sharpe,  Horatio,  51.  55. 

Shaw,  146.  147,  267. 

Shaw,  Thomas,  95,  239. 

Sherburne.  Henry,  267. 

Sherman,  Allton  H.,  333. 

Sherman,  Roger,  102.  117,  144,  15S,  portrait  opposite 
n7. 

Shinn,  J-  Edward.  335. 

Shirley,  WiUiam.  63. 

Shryock,  Thomas  J.,  304,  331,  333.335-  337.  portrait 
opposite  335. 

Simms,  Charles.  149,  193,  20S,  286.  2SS.  293.  297,  299, 
306- 

Simms,  Thomas,  305. 

Slaff,  267. 

Slaughter,  Philip,  11. 

Smith,  267. 

Smith,  Augustin  J.,  300. 

Smith,  J.  B.,  273. 

Smith,  Meriwether,  87,  114. 

Smith,  Richard,  102. 

Smith,  William,  275. 

Smith,  William  Moore,  275. 

Smith,  WiUiam  Stephen,  130,  131,  182, 

Snickers,  147. 

Snyder,  G.  W.,  278. 

Somers.  267. 

"Southern  Matron,"  238-251, 

Spaight.  Richard  Dobbs.  144. 

Spanbergen.  Frederick,  288. 

Sparks,  Jared,  in. 

Spear,  267. 

Spencer.  Joseph.  1 10. 

Spencer,  Nicholas,  3,  facsimile  of  original  grant  oppo- 
site 3. 

Spots  wood,  45. 


376 


INDEX  TO  PERSONAL  NAMES. 


Spotswood,  Alexander,  123. 

Stanwix.  John,  65. 

Stark.  John,  118. 

Stephen,  Adam,  63. 

Stephens.  Stephen,  301. 

Steuben,  F.  W.  A.  H.  F.  von.  118,  121.  123,  158. 

Stevens.  Adam,  108. 

Steward'  John  Ainsworth,  192,  298. 

Stockton,  Robert  C.  334. 

Stoddert,  Benjamin,  182. 

Stokes,  Wyndham.  334. 

Stone,  Thomas,  139,  140. 

Story,  Joseph.  234. 

Stuart,  David,  145,  146,  149,  289.  292. 

Stuart,  J.  E.  B..  42. 

Stuart,  John.  57,  63. 

Stuart,  Nancy.  192.  193.  300. 

Stuart.  Sally,  192.  193,  300. 

Suggett,  Edgcomb,  87. 

Suggett.  John,  86. 

Sullivan,  John,  102.  no.  118,  257.  portrait  opposite  118. 

Sumter.  Thomas,  118. 

Sush,  Jer.,  87. 

Swan,  Thomas,  304. 

Swanson.  Claude,  341. 

Swift,  G    Roscoe,  312,  334,  336,  portrait  opposite  339. 

Swift,  Jonathan.  186,  293.  298,  300,  311. 

Sydnor,  William,  87. 

Taft,  William  H..  312,  315.  336,  340. 

Talleyrand,  iSr,  183. 

Talliaferro.  Francis.  45. 

Tanner,  W.  E-.  263. 

Tarleton.  Col.  Banastre.  120,  121. 

Taylor.  146. 

Taylor,  FannJe,  211,  213. 

Taylor,  James,  293. 

Taylor,  Jessie.  293. 

Taylor.  Rosalie,  305. 

Thomas,  Isaiah.  276. 

Thomas,  John,  no. 

Thomas.  Joseph.  293,  298,  300. 

Thomas,  Philemon.  207. 

Thompson,  267 

Thompson,  Rev.,  146. 

Thompson,  Charles,  103,  155. 

Thornton,  Dr.,  192. 

Thornton,  Francis,  87. 

Thornton.  J.  B.  T..  208. 

Thornton.  Mildred.  195. 

Thornton.  Peter  Presley,  131. 

Tibbs.  Daniel.  87. 

Tilghman.  Matthew.  102. 

Tilghman,  Tench,  130.  131. 

Tomlinson,  Robert.  253. 

Townsend.  Amy,  246. 

Townsend,  Mrs.  Justine  Van  Rensselaer.  245. 

Tracey.  Miss  S.  C,  247. 

Treat,  F.  H..  portrait  opposite  341. 

Trent,  William,  47. 

Triplet.  Thomas,  300. 

Triplet,  William.  192.  map  90-91. 

Troupe.  Mrs..  215. 

Trumball.  John,  131. 

Trumball,  Jonathan,  131. 

Truxton,  183. 

Tucker,  Benjamin,  267. 

Turberville.  George,  87. 

Turner,  Charles,  293.  298,  300. 


Turner,  James.  298. 

Upshaw.  James.  87. 
Upshaw,  John.  87. 

Van  Braam.  Jacob.  47,  48.  265, 
Van  Rensselaer.  267. 
Van  Rensselaer.  Mrs.  Eugene,  246. 
Van  Zandt.  267. 
Varlo.  Charles.  135. 
Varnam.  Joseph  Bradley.  143. 
Varrick,  Richard.  131. 
Vassauer,  La,  Auguste,  262.  304. 
Vernon,  Edward.  14,  21,  22, 
Verplank,  F.  A..  333. 
Viomenil,  Baron  de,  123. 
Vowell.  John  C,  304. 

Waddill.  William.  254,  287. 

Wagener,  Peter,  23.  76,  map  90-91,  94.  99. 

Walker.  Benj..  130,  131. 

Walker.  John.  131. 

Walker,  Sarah.  30. 

Walpole.  Horace.  80,  104. 

Walpole,  Robert,  79. 

Ward.  Artemus,  portrait  of  1 10. 

Ward,  Samuel.  102. 

Waring,  Francis,  87. 

Warner,  Augustine.  7. 

Warner.  Mildred.  7.  8. 

Warren.  Joseph,  255,  256,  portrait  opposite  256. 

Warville.  Brissot  de.  216. 

Washington,  Ann  (Aylett).  15.  194. 

Washington,  Anne,  3.  6. 

Washington,  Anne  (Blackburn),  233,  portrait  opposite 

235- 
Washington,  Anne  (Fairfax)  14,  18.  22,  27,  30,  32,  53. 

71.  «94. 
Washington.  Anne  (Pope),  3. 
Washington,  Anne  Maria.  236. 
Washington.  Augustine  C1694)    7.  8,  21,  194.  195,  231. 

picture  of  bam  he  erected  opposite  15.  picture  01 

house  where  he  died  opposite  13,  picture  of  mill  he 

erected  opposite  13. 
Washington  (1720).  15    17.  27,  61,  72,  194. 
Washington,  Betty.  17.  opposite  20.  178,  195,  231. 
Washington.  Judge  Bushrod.  71.  72.  137,  209.  220.  231. 

232.  233.  234.  235,  239.  portrait  opposite  235. 
Washington,  Bushrod,  jr.,  235. 
Washington,  Bushrod  C,  235. 
Washington,  Butler,  194. 
Washington,  Charles  (1738).  opposite  20.  27.  87.   195. 

231.  portrait  opposite  231. 
Washington,  Corbin,  235. 
Washington.  Eleanor  Love,  236. 
Washington.  Elizabeth.  3. 
Washington,  Fernando.  147. 
Washington,  Frances,  147,  223. 
Washington,  George, 

ancestors,  1-17. 

battle  of  Great  Meadows.  50-51.  ■ 

battle  of  Vorktown,  122-123. 

battles.  1 17-1 18. 

birth  place.  9. 

birth  record,  facsimile  opposite  20. 

Braddock,  in  campaign  with,  53-59. 
opinion  of,  55. 


INDEX  TO  PERSONAL  NAMES. 


377 


Washington,  George — Continued, 
character,  78-79. 

by  Irving.  187. 
by  C.  Varlo,  135. 
church  work,  92-96. 
civilian,  71-100. 
commander-in-chief  Virginia  forces.  62. 

American  army,  elected,    109. 
resigns.    128. 
ContineDtal  Congress,  member,  103. 
Council  of  Governors,  present  at.  55. 
dancing,  78. 
death,  191-192.  297. 

hundredth  anniversary,  319—325. 
defense  of  the  valley  of  Virginia,  62-68. 
diary,  140.  141,  143.  146-149,  185-187. 
engagement  to  Mrs.  Custis,  66-69. 
farewell  address,  163,  165-176. 
farewell  speech,  163. 
farewell  to  officers,  127. 
father,  intercourse  with,  i6. 
foxhunting,  76~78.  I45.  I47.  148,  178, 
French  commandant,  mission  to,  47-49. 
funeral,  297-302. 

General  Assembly,  member  of,  73,  77,  80,  91. 
godfathers,  20. 

godmother,  8,  ii.  opposite  20. 

Green  way  Court,  life  at,  38,  picture  opposite  29,  43 . 
headquarters,  Alexandria,  Va.,  picture  opposite  55. 
Cambridge.  Mass,,  iii. 
Cumberland,  Md.,  picture  opposite 

68. 
Will's  Creek,  Md..  picture  opposite 

68. 
Winchester,  Va.,  picture  opposite  68 . 
horses,  75. 
hounds.  76. 

House  of  Burgesses,  member,  73,  77,  So.  91. 
inheritance,  17. 

justice  at  Fairfax  Court  House,  209. 
letter  from  Ancient  York  Masons  No.  22,  295. 
Ancient  York  Masons  of  Pa..  273. 
Erskine,  183. 
W.  Fairfax.  64 
J.  Giles,  269. 
J.  GilHs,  294. 
M.  Gist,  271. 
Lodge  No.  22.  294, 
G.  Mason,  90. 
Robinson.  64. 
Watson  &  Cassoul.  268. 
letter  to  Alexandria-Washington  Lodge. 

Ancient  York  Masons  of  Pa..  273. 

Basset,  213. 

Clinton,  133. 

Martha  Cjstis,  68. 

Francis  Dandridge,  84. 

Dinwiddie.  63. 

Wm.  Fauotleroy.  36. 

Mrs.  G.  W.  Fairfax.  33. 

Grand  Lodge  of  South  Carolina,  271. 

B.  Harrison,  154. 

King  David's  Lodge.  270. 

Knox,  136.  154. 

Lafayette,  181. 

Laurens,  119. 

Lodge  No.  39,  facsimile  opposite  283. 

McHenry.  177. 

Mason.  88. 


Washington,  George — Continued, 
letter  to  mother,  57.  58. 
Robin.  35. 
Snyder,  Rev..  278. 
Augustine  Washington,  61. 
Lawrence  Washington.  45-46. 
Watson  &  Cassoul,  269. 
wife,  1 12. 
love  affairs.  36.  66-69. 
Major,  46. 
marriage,  73. 
mason,  degrees  taken,  253. 

recommended  for  Master,  285. 
elected  Master,  28S. 
recommended  for  Grand  Master,  259. 
Grand  Master  pro  tem  at  laying  of  comer 
stone  of  Capitol,  290-293. 
midshipman,  18,  portrait  opposite  19. 
mother,  last  meeting  with.  154. 
Mount  Vernon,  life  at.  51.  53.  59,  6i,  65,  69.  7  4-77, 
84,  125,  129.  130.  135. 145    148. 
reverts  to  him.  71. 
oath  of  oflSce,  158-159. 
portrait,  frontispiece,  opposite  19. 
by  Peele.  opposite  101. 
president,  elected,  149,  154. 

second  inauguration,  290. 
declines  further  service.  163. 
relations  with  Dr.  Craik,  59. 
relations  with  Fairfax  family,  33,  34. 
relations  with  Lawrence  Washington,  27. 
reply  to  D.  Ramsay.  15,  156. 
resolutions  by  Congress.  153.  200. 
resolutions  to  remove  remains,  207. 
room  in  which  he  died,  picture  opposite  291 
school  days.  19. 
Stamp  Act  80,  82,  84. 
surveyor,  35.  42-44.  46. 
toasts  to.  295.  307. 
tomb,  picture  opposite  193. 
tribute  by  Lord  Brougham.  187. 
Marshall.  197. 
John  Adams,  199. 
Napoleon,  201. 
vestryman.  92-96. 

Virgi  nia,  non-importation  resolutions,  91. 
will,   1S4.  207-209,  facsimile  opposite  o-V4- 
will. schedule  of  property  mentioned  in,  345-349. 
Washington.  George  Augustine.  146,  147,  220 
Washington,  George  C,  235. 
Washington,  George  Steptoe,  207.  313. 
Washington.  Hannah  (Fairfax).  8.  34. 
Washington.  Hannah  (Lee),  235. 
Washington,  Henry,  37. 
Washington.  Jane  (Butler).  9.  194. 
Washington.  Jane,  1722,  opposite  20.  :94. 
Washington.  Jane  Charlotte,  235,  236,  portrait  oppo- 
site 236. 
Washington,  John.  (16 — ,)  3-6.  g,  38,  42,  72.   194,  fac- 
simile of  original  grant  to,  opposite  3. 
Washington  (1663),  3.  6. 
Washington,  John  (1692),  7-9. 
Washington.  John  Augustine  (1736),  17,  20,  27,  71-73, 

87.  195.  220,  231,  232,  portrait  opposite  72. 
Washington,  John  A.  (1792),  207,  235. 
Washington,  John  A.  (1820),  209.  236-23S,  241,  242, 

portrait  opposite  236,  238. 
Washington,  Katherine.  8. 


378 


INDEX  TO  PERSONAL  NAMES. 


Washington.  Lawrence  (i6 — ),  3.  37.  38. 
Waslungton.  Lawrence  (1661).  3.  6.  7^9.  72.  I94- 
Washington.  Lawrence  (171S).  14.  16-19.  21-28.  32-35. 
45-47.71,  72.  76.87.  194.  231.  portrait  opposite  23. 
Washington.  Lawrence,  viii.  237.  312.  portrait  opposite 

238. 
Washington.  Lawrence  Augustine.  220. 
Washington,  Lund  147.  209. 

Washington.  Martha,  66-68.  73.  109.  no.  112.  125.  129, 
145.  147.159.  »6s.  186,  188-192,  194.206.207,210- 
224.  228,  229. 

letters  from  George  Washington,  no.  112. 
letter  to  J.  Adams.  206. 

E-  Calvert.  214. 
portrait  opposite  218. 

visit  by  Mrs.  Troupe  and  other  Morristown  ladles. 
215-216. 
Washington.  Mary.  9,  10,  16-20.  57.  125.  I54.  194.  195. 
231.  alleged  portrait  opposite  9.  home  in  Fredericks- 
burg. Va.  opposite  126. 
Washington.  Mildred  (16 — ),  7  9. 
Washington.  Mildred  (1696),  7,  8,  11. 
Washington,  Mildred  (1739).  20,  195- 
Washington,  Richard  Blackburn,  236. 
Washington,  Samuel,  17,  20.  27,  86,  87.  195.  207,  231, 

portrait  opposite  231. 
Washington,  Sarah,  27. 
Washington,  Warner,  8,  34. 
Washington,  Mrs.  Warner,  187. 
Washington,  Whiting,  187. 
Watson,  268. 
Watson,  James,  293. 
Watts,  John,  87. 

Wayne,  Anthony,  118,  121,  portrait  opposite  118. 
Webb,  Alexander  Contee,  131. 
Webb,  James,  87. 
Webb,  Mrs.  Mary  P.  Y.,  246. 
Webb,  Samuel  Blackley,  131. 
Weeks,  Charles,  87. 

Weems,  Mason  L-,  93,  portrait  opposite  93. 
Wentworth,  General,  21. 
Westcott,  James  D.,  301. 
West.  John,  94,  95.  96,  209. 


West.  Roger.  192.  289,  293. 
West.  SubhUl.  209. 
Westlake.  Mrs..  216. 
Whitehead,  James,  284. 
Whiting,  Beverly.  20. 
Whiting.  Katherine,  8. 
Wigginton.  James.  301, 
Wilder.  Mrs..  George  P..  246. 
Williams.  18.  267.  275.  304,  315. 
Williams,  John,  86.  301. 
Williamson.  Colin,  292. 
Williamson,  Hugh,  144. 
Willis,  Byrd  C,  24S,  249. 
W  illis,  Catherine  Byrd,  248. 
Willis.  Henry,  8. 

Willis,  Lewis,  87. 

Wilmott,  124. 

Wilson  (groom),  193,  299. 

Wilson.  78. 

Wilson.  James.  144.  159.  220,  232,  233,  239,  293,  300, 
portrait  opposite  159. 

Wilton,  Richard,  poem  by,  323. 

Wise,  2S9. 

Wise,  George,  298. 

Wishner,  Henry,  102. 

Withers,  Robert  E.,  318. 

Wolcott,  Oliver.  178. 

Wolcott.  Mrs.  Oliver.  177. 

Wood,  James.  69. 

Woodberry,  Charles   323. 

Woodcock,  John  S.,  87. 

Woodward,  267. 

Wooster,  David,  no.  258. 

Wren.  Thomas,  95. 

Wright,  George  W..  320. 

Wythe.  George,  81.  114. 

Young.  281. 

Young.  Charles.  283. 

Young.  Robert,  186.  293,  298,  300. 

Young,  Smith,  87. 

Zachary,  George  W.,  335. 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS. 


Abingdon,  145,  222,  map  90-91,  picture  opposite  217. 
Ajax,  Washington's  horse,  75. 
Albert's  Tavern.  295. 

Alexandria -Washington  Lodge,  charter,  facsimile  of  op- 
pu:^ite  286. 

cornerstone  of  Capitol  laid.  290-293. 

funeral  of  Washington,  193.  297-302. 

letters  from  Washington,  186,  295. 

letters  to  Washington,  294. 

name  changed.  262,  2R6,  302. 

new  lodge  room,  picture  opposite  326. 

old  lodge  room,  picture  opposite  302. 
American  Union  Lodge,  instituted,  256.  at  Reading. 

Conn.,  266.  at  Morristown,  N.  J.,  267. 
Andrew  Jackson  Lodge,  31S. 
Anoapolb  Convention,  142. 
Arlington,  222-226.  228,  map  90-91,  picture  opposite 

229. 
Army,  American  in  1775.  iii. 

Ball  family.  265. 

Barn  at  Mount  Vernon,  11.  14.  picture  opposite  15. 

Bastile,  key  of,  315. 

Battle  of  Great  Meadows.  50-51. 

Battle  of  Yorktown.  122-123. 

Battles  of  Revolution,  last,  124. 

statistics.  11 7-1 18. 
Bell  Air,  map  90-91. 
Bell  Vale,  map  90-91. 
Belmont,  map  90-91. 
Belvoir,  35,  134.  map  S»o-9i. 
Blakely,  235. 

Blandford  Lodge,  258.  259. 
Blue  Skin.  Washington's  horse,  75. 
Botetourt  Lodge   2,s3. 
Braddock's  Campaign,  53-59. 
Brook  Lodge,  299,  301.  30S. 

Cabin  Point  Lodge,  258,  259. 
Cabinet,  portrait  of  first  opposite  160. 
Capitol,  corner  stone  laid  290,313. 

ruins  in  1814,  picture  opposite  293< 
Carey  family,  2. 

Carlyle  House,  picture  opposite  sg. 

Carpenters'  Hall,  Philadelphia.  Pa.,  picture  opposite  103. 
Cedar  Grove,  map  90-91. 
Chamberlain  House,  picture  opposite  67. 
Chesapeake  and  Ohio  Canal.  151. 
Christ  Church,  Alexandria,  Va.,  picture  opposite  185. 
Claims  to  lands  of  the  Ohio,  25-26. 
Clinton  family,  119. 
Constitution  agreed  to.  143. 

signatures.  144. 
Constttut'onal  Lodge,  Beverly,  Eng.,  323,  325. 
Continental  Congress,  150. 
Cornerstone  of  Capitol  laid.  290,  313. 
Cornerstone  of  District  of  Columbia  laid,  289,  313. 
Cornerstone  of  Smithsonian  Institution  laid.  308. 
Cornerstone  of  Statue  in  Richmond  laid,  308. 
Cornestone  of  Washington  Monument  laid,  308,  313. 
Craigie  Mansion,  xii. 


Declaration  of  Independence,  facsimile  opposite  366. 

portrait  of  commirtee  opposite  1 17. 
Declaration  of  rights,  Va..  114.  141.  iacsimile  opposite 

114- 
District  of  Columbia,  cornerstone  laid,  289.  313. 

Eltham.  125.  145. 

Episcopal  Theological  Seminary,  map,  90-91. 

Hpping  Forest.  9,  picture  opposite  9. 

Fairfax  County.  Va.,  map,  90,  91. 

Fairfax  Court  House,  209.  map  90-91,  picture  opposite 

209. 
Fairfax  family,  29-40.  77.  192. 
Fairfax  parish.  92. 
Falls  Church,  95.  map,  90-91. 
Farewell  Address  of  Wasbingtoo,  163,  165-17 
Federal  Lodge  No.  i,  320. 
Federal  Lodge  No.  15.  399.  301. 
Fitzhugh  family,  265. 
Fox  hunting.  76.  78.  145.  147,  148.  178. 
Fredericksburg  Lodge.  253,  25S,  259.  265.  299,  326. 

George  Washington  Masonic  National  Memorial  Asso- 
ciation. 3z  1 ,  329-342. 

portraits  of  members  opposite  335.  339.  34i- 
Grand  Masters  of  Virginia,  portraits  opposite  263. 
Grant  to  Colonel  Spencer  and  Colonel  Washington, 

facsimile  opposite  3. 
Great  Meadows,  50-51. 
Greenway  Court,  picture  opposite  29.  43. 
Gunston  Hall,  93,  map  90-91.  picture  opposite  97 

Harewood,  231. 
HaySeld,  map  90-91. 
Henry  family.  2. 
Hollia  Hall,  map  90-91. 
Horses  of  Washington.  75. 
Hounds  of  Washington,  76. 

Inauguration,  first.  158.  159. 

Independence  Hall,  Philadelphia.  Pa.,  picture  opposite 

109. 
Indian,  last  stand  in  tidewater,  4. 
Indian  Life  in  pioneer  days.  41-42. 

Jefferson  family,  2. 
Johnston  family,  209. 

Kenmore,  picture  opposite  141. 

King  David's  Lodge.  270. 

Knife,  story  of  Washington's.  314. 

La  Grange,  map,  90-91. 
Lee  family.  2,  209,  225.  264. 
Lewis  family.  2. 
Liberty  Lodge,  323,  325. 
Livingstone  family. 

McCarty  family.  209. 
Madison  family,  2. 


379 


38o 


INDEX  TO  SUBJECTS. 


Magnolia,  Washington's  horse,  75. 

Martha  Washington  Chapter,  O.  E.  S.,  318. 

Mason  family,  2.  192. 

Mason's  Hall,  Richmond,  Va. 

Masonry  in  Colonial  America,  253—264. 

Mercer  family,  265. 

Mill  near  Mount  Vernon,   12,  13,  map  90-91,  picture 

opposite  13. 
Monroe  family,  2. 

Monument  to  George  Washington.  206,  207. 
Moore  House,  Yorktown,  Va.,  123,  picture  opposite  121 
Mordington,  231. 
Morris  family,  1 19. 

Mount  Eagle.  1S6,  map,  90-91,  picture  opposite  39. 
Mount  Vernon  bequeathed  to — ■ 

Bushrod  Washington.  235. 

John  A.  Washington.  235.  236. 

Lawrence  Washington,  6,  17. 

Mildred  Washington,  7. 
Mount  Vernon,  Miss  Cunningham  works  for,  238-251. 

first  mistress,  22. 

first  residence,  14. 

furniture  from  Belvoir  house,  34. 

grant.  3. 

Indian,  last  stand  of,  4. 

inventory  of  articles  at,  350-364. 

life  at.  53.  74-77,  130,  135.  136.  145.  148. 

map  90-91,  177,  184. 

name  given,  22. 

pictures  opposite  145,  165,  249. 

reverts  to  George  Washington,  71. 

river  front,  picture  opposite  153 

school  of  arms,  47. 

title,  abstract  of.  364-366. 

tolling  of  bell  on  passing  boats,  339. 

visitors,  increase  in.  326. 
Mount  Vernon  Convention,  140,  142. 

Mount  Vernon  Ladies'  Association,  34,  238,  239,  243-247. 
Mount  Vernon,  Memorial  Service  at,  318. 

Navy,  Washington  appointed  midshipman.  18,  19. 
Nelson  House.  Yorktown.  Va..  picture  opposite  123. 
Newington,  map  90-91. 
Non-importation  resolution,  91. 
Norfolk  Lodge,  258,  259. 

Ode  to  Washington,  157. 

Old  Dominion  Commandery,  318. 

Old  North  Church,  picture  opposite  2.^6. 

Page  family.  2. 

Payne  family,  77,  265. 

Payne's  Church.  95,  map,  90-91. 

Pendleton  family.  2. 

Philadelphia  Convention,  143. 

Philadelphia  Lodge   299. 

Pine  Grove.  19,  picture  opposite  13. 

Pohick  Church,  33.  93,  96.  97,  map,  90-91.  picture 

opposite  93. 
Pope  family.  265, 
Port  Royal  Lodge,  258,  259. 


Potomac  Company,  139,  150. 

Randolph  family,  2. 

Relics    of    Alexandria- Washington    'Lodge,    311-316, 

pictures  opposite  310,  314. 
Resolutions  on  Stamp  Act,  81. 
Resolves  of  Patrick  Henry,  106-108. 
Richmond  Lodge.  262. 

Richmond-Randolph  Lodge,  262,  263,  307. 
Rippon  Lodge,  233,  map,  90-gi. 
Rose  Hill,  map,  go-91. 
Round  Hill,  map,  90-91. 

St.  Andres'  Lodge,  256. 

St.  John's  Lodge.  270. 

St.  Peter's  Church,  picture  opposite  67. 

St.  Tammany  Lodge,  258. 

Signatures  to  Constitution,  144. 

Smithsonian  Institution,  cornerstone  laid,  308. 

Song  to  Lafayette,  305. 

Spotswood  family,  265. 

Springfield,  map  90-91- 

Stamp  Act.  80-82.  84-88.  99. 

Steam  boat,  invention  of,  151-152. 

Supreme  Court,  portrait  of  first  opposite  159. 

Toasts  to  Washington,  295,  307. 

Treaty  of  Paris,  126. 

Truro  Parish,  11.  12,  15,  17  33,  92-95. 

Valiant,  Washington's  horse,  75. 

Virginia  Declaration  of  Rights,  facsimile  opposite  114 

Virginia  Consistory,  318. 

Virginia  Lodge  No.    9.  267,  293. 

13,  262,  291. 

19.  307. 

39,  281-286 
Virginia  Non-Importation  Resolutions,  91. 

Wakefield,  3.  6.  7,  10,  15,  17,  18.  21. 

Warner  family.  2.  265. 

Washing  ton -Alexandria  &  Mt.  Vernon  Railway  Com 

pany,  326. 
Washington  family,  2,  20,  36. 
Washington  Lodge.  267. 

Washington  Monument,  cornerstone  laid.  308,  313. 
Washington  Society  of  Alexandria,  186. 
Weedon  family.  265. 
Wellington,  220,  map,  90-91. 
West  Grove,  map,  90-91. 
Westmoreland  resolves.  85-87. 
White  Chapel,  5. 
Widow's  Son  Lodge.  307. 

Will,  facsimile  of  Washington's,  opposite  344. 
Williamsburg  Convention  and  resolves.  113. 
Williamsburg  Lodge.  253.  255.  258,  259,  260. 
Willis  Family,  265. 
Woodlawn.    220-222,    228.    235.    map   90-91,    picture 

opposite  221. 

Yorktown,  battle  of.  122   125. 

Yorktown,  Va..  picture  of  street  opposite  124. 

Yorktown  Lodge,  258. 


S    '' 


r> 


ri 


^  • 


.K>. 


^ 


'\t 


V 


l< 


\. 


'^'^ 


•■^j 


\ 


,V^>-^'--'^ 


■^f&^vk^^ 


^v'v 


•^    K 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


±    juWW 


URL 


JUL0gi98E 


(^ 


1 


(      ! 


Aa  ^/\i 


r 


-^ 


-««■  VfV 


^.^ 


te^-      ■■V--*;-"  ,*!■    '-^ 


\> 


A 


*4 


*■-*« 


X 


■^   \i 


^  V 


<j-'*5#.-;  -^ 


,  J  •» 


